Ram-Based Methods for Forming Thermoplastic Article Having Smooth Edges

ABSTRACT

The disclosure relates to forming shaped thermoplastic articles having smooth peripheries. Many thermoplastic articles have sharp edges formed upon molding or cutting the article from a feedstock sheet. Such sharp edges can damage thin plastic films or flesh which they contact, and smoothing the edges is desirable. Described herein are methods of forming a smooth periphery for such sharp-edged articles by rolling over the sharp edge. The smoothing operation is performed by forming a deflectable flange including a bend region separated from the potentially sharp peripheral edge by a spacer, deflecting a portion of the deflectable flange, and softening at least one bent portion of the deflectable flange to yield a smooth periphery upon cooling. The deflection can include curling the spacer at or near the peripheral edge.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S.non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 16/047,601 (allowed), filed27 Jul. 2018, which is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S.non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 15/658,785 (now U.S. Pat.No. 10,076,865), filed 25 Jul. 2017, which is a continuation ofco-pending U.S. non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 15/445,220,filed 28 Feb. 2017, which is a continuation-in-part of internationalapplication PCT/US16/49692, filed 31 Aug. 2016, which is entitled topriority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/212,367, filed 31Aug. 2015, each of which applications is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

This disclosure relates generally to the field of forming shapedthermoplastic articles.

Formation of shaped articles from thermoplastic materials is well known.A wide variety of methods (e.g., thermoforming, casting, molding, andspinning) can be used to confer shape to a molten thermoplastic or to apreformed thermoplastic sheet that has been softened or melted.

Trimming of waste material from one or more edges of a shaped article isa common finishing technique, but leaves a sharp edge that can injureflesh or tear or cut materials which come into contact with the edge.One common use for shaped thermoplastics is to form containers that canbe sealed with thin plastic films, such as trays, bowls, or binsintended to contain foodstuffs and intended to be sealed withtransparent plastic film. Another common use is to contain items and toseal them from moisture or other materials which may come into contactwith the container. Sealing of such containers typically involvesextending or stretching the film across a compartment formed in thecontainer and sealing the film to or around a planar rim situated at theperiphery of the compartment. The rim commonly includes, or is situatedadjacent, a trimmed edge of the article that includes the compartment.If that edge is sharp, it can cut or break the film, interfering withthe sealing process.

Three well-known sealing technologies are commonly used in sealing foodsand foodstuffs within containers for commercial shipping, storage,display, and sale. These are referred to herein as OW, VSP, and MAPtechnologies. All of these technologies involve combining a containerand a thin plastic film. Owing to the fragility of such films and theneed, in many instances, to minimize or eliminate punctures and tearsfrom film portions which serve to define (together with the container)sealed compartments, it is critical to minimize the opportunities forcontainers to tear, puncture, or abrade the film of the same or nearbycontainers. In addition to plastic films used for sealing suchcontainers, plastic films are also employed for shipping the containers,such as the “mother bags” (i.e., typically thin plastic bags) used forcontaining multiple product-in-container-packages during shipping andthe plastic grocery bags used by consumers to transport purchased goodsfrom a retailer. This can be achieved by reducing or eliminating sharpor rough container edges, at least at positions on the container atwhich such edges might reasonably contact the film during packaging,storage, shipment, or display.

Overwrap (OW) technology involves enveloping or wrapping a shapedarticle (e.g., a thermoformed tray, sheet, bowl, or multi-compartmentcontainer) with a thin (often transparent) plastic film after afoodstuff or other item has been placed on one or more faces of thearticle and thereafter sealing the film to itself (e.g., by heatingoverlapping portions of the film). In such OW technology, sharp or roughedges of the shaped article can cut, abrade, or puncture the film,potentially allowing materials to pass through the film and defeatingone or more of its purposes. Heretofore, OW technology has been usedprimarily together with foamed trays or bins lacking sharp edges. Manymunicipal recycling schemes exclude or disfavor foamed plastics, andsuch materials are therefore increasingly disfavored by consumers. Itwould be desirable if a thermoformable plastic container suitable foruse with multiple wrapping technologies, including OW technology, couldbe made, since thermoformable materials tend to be widely acceptable inrecycling programs.

Vacuum-sealed package (VSP) technology involves adhering a thin (again,often transparent) plastic film against a face of a shaped articlebearing a foodstuff (for example, or a moisture-sensitive object as analternate example) on a face of the shaped article. When VSP technologyis employed, that item(s) to be packaged are placed on a surface of,and/or within a cavity of, the shaped article, the film is overlain suchthat the item(s) are interposed between the shaped article and the film,air (or whatever other gases may be present) is withdrawn from the spacebetween the film and the shaped article (optionally in coordination ofapplication of positive pressure to the exterior of one or both of thefilm and the shaped article) so that the film is closely opposed againstthe surface of the shaped article and/or the item(s), and the film issealed (e.g., by way of an interposed adhesive, through heat-inducedadhesion, or by static charge adhesion) to the surface of the shapedarticle across the desired area (usually completely encircling theitem(s)), and any excess film can be trimmed from the desired area. Theseal can be resistant to gas flow in order to maintain the gas-evacuatedstate on the interior of the sealed container. The resulting VSP-sealedpackage typically has a topology that mimics the shape of the surface ofthe shaped article having the item(s) thereon.

MAP is an abbreviation for modified atmosphere packaging and refers to asealing technology in which a flexible (often transparent) film issealed (e.g., using heat or an adhesive) about the perimeter of asubstantially rigid shaped article, such as a tray or bowl. When theshaped article is otherwise closed (i.e., when it has no other openingsthan that sealed by the film), the gases present within the containercan be controlled at the time the film is sealed to the article. Thus,if the article and film are sealed in the presence of a selectedatmosphere (e.g., a gas, such as one selected to exclude oxygen or topromote fruit ripening), the selected atmosphere can be maintainedwithin the sealed MAP package during subsequent storage, shipping, anddisplay of the package.

As is known in the art, the shaped articles used in OW, VSP, and MAPsealing processes tend to have a variety of industry-accepted geometricshapes and properties which differ among the three types, such that ashaped article useful in one type of sealing process is often poorlysuited for use in one or both of the others.

Containers used for OW-sealing, for example, tend to be rectangular andtray- or sheet-shaped, with smooth, blunt edges and rounded corners. Thelack of sharp, rough, or pointed edges or corners serves to reduce thelikelihood that the film used for overwrapping the container will betorn or punctured upon wrapping. OW-containers often have a flat portion(e.g., on the “bottom” of the container, relative to its intendeddisplay configuration) at which the overwrapped film can be urgedagainst itself for the purpose of sealing the film to itself (e.g., uponapplication of heat to the overlapping film portions sufficient to causesuch sealing), thus enclosing the container and any items on or in it.

Containers used for VSP-sealing tend to have a face or surface(sometimes within a concavity) adapted to carry an item to be sealedbetween the film and the container and adapted to receive the sealingfilm by virtue of the absence of sharp points, protrusions, or edges.The absence of such features reduces the likelihood of punctures ortears in the film as it is drawn against the surface. UnlikeOW-containers, VSP-containers can have sharp edges, corners, orprotrusions, at least at portions other than the film-receiving surface,because those portions need not contact the film during sealing.However, such sharp portions can still damage sealing films, especiallywhen multiple VSP-sealed packages are stored, shipped, or displayed nearone another, because a sharp portion of one container can damage thefilm of another container (or a film or tissue in the vicinity of thecontainer).

Containers used for MAP-sealing tend to have a planar surface (e.g., abroad, flat rim) surrounding an opening to be sealed by applying a sheetof film against it, sealing the film to the surface (often substantiallyirreversibly), and then trimming the film about the perimeter of theseal. Such containers must be configured such that the film can beapplied to the surface without substantial risk of tears or puncturesbefore and during sealing and to facilitate trimming of the film fromthe sealed container. However, because the film typically contacts onlylimited portions of MAP-containers during the sealing process,MAP-containers can, and often do, include sharp, pointed, or abrasivefeatures at positions not involved in the sealing process.

It would be beneficial if the sharp edges of shaped thermoplasticarticles could be displaced in such a way that the risk of injury ordamage to sealing films could be reduced. It would be further beneficialif such individual shaped articles could be used with multiple knownsealing technologies, such as two or more of OW, VSP, and MAPtechnologies. Reducing the sharpness and tendency of thermoformedarticles to induce damage and injuries would be advantageous even in theabsence of sealing. The subject matter disclosed herein addresses theseshortcomings of prior shaped thermoplastic articles.

Others have recognized the desirability of reducing the occurrence ofsharp edges at the edges of trays to be overwrapped. For example, Nelsonet al. (U.S. patent application publication number 2015/0001127)disclosed a packaging tray that is formed by thermoforming a film sheetto yield a precursor tray having a generally U-shaped flange about itsperiphery, the open end of the U facing the sealing surface and theperipheral edge of the tray jutting peripherally. Nelson's tray is madeby cutting the precursor tray from a sheet of thermoformable material toyield an end in which the peripherally-extending peripheral edge ispositioned at the terminus of the outer (relative to the tray body) armof the U. Nelson then compresses that outer arm inwardly toward the traybody, leaving a smoother crimped portion of the U-shaped flange at theperiphery of the tray, with the still-potentially-sharp peripheral edgeextending toward the sealing surface. In this way, Nelson et al.,generates a tray said to be suitable for overwrapping, an overwrappingfilm being intended to urge the outer arm of the U-shaped flange towardor against the inner arm. However, because the tray retains a sharpperipheral edge in a position in which it can cut films (the peripheraledge of Nelson's trays can be seen to contact both the film overwrap andthe film overwrapping an adjacent tray in Nelson's FIG. 13A, forexample), Nelson's tray remains unsuitable for all OW applications andgenerally unsuitable for use with VSP and MAP technologies. A traylacking a film-accessible sharp peripheral edge or sharp crimps (whichNelson's trays also possess—see item 124 in Nelson's FIG. 12A) would bepreferable for use with each of these sealing technologies.

The subject matter disclosed herein includes shaped thermoformedarticles which are suitable for sealing with multiple technologies.

Thermoformed drinking cups having smooth, rolled edges are also known.Such cups are made by thermoforming cups having a flange about theperimeter of the cup opening, the flange including a potentially sharpperipheral edge at the flange end distal to the interior of the cup. Theflanged cups are stacked in a nested fashion, heated at their flangeportions, and then passed through helical rim-rolling threads to createthe rolled edge. Such technology is useful only for rolling the edgesurrounding a circular orifice and is therefore of no practical use inmaking shaped articles having rolled edges surrounding non-circularopenings. Rolled-edge drinking cups are also not designed to facilitatewrapping or sealing with thin plastic films.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure relates to methods of displacing a sharp edge away fromthe periphery of an article made from a thermoplastic material, wherethe sharp edge might otherwise damage surfaces that contact theperiphery of the article. The disclosure also relates to articlesprocessed according to those methods and to equipment for performingsuch processing.

The disclosure relates to a method of forming a smooth edge (i.e., asmooth periphery) on an article made of a thermoplastic material. Themethod includes a step of forming a deflectable flange at an edge of thebody of the article. The deflectable flange includes a peripheral edgeof the thermoplastic material at the peripheral end of the deflectableflange, optionally on a peripheral flange that extends peripherally fromthe deflectable flange. In one embodiment, the peripheral flange isconnected by an elbow to a spacer and extends peripherally beyond thespacer by a peripheral flange distance. The peripheral flange distancecan be selected to yield a desired degree of deflection when it isimpinged against a surface. In one embodiment, the peripheral flangedistance is selected to be zero (i.e., the peripheral edge exists wherethe elbow would otherwise be. The spacer is connected by a bend regionto the body, the bend region defining an angle (which can be acute orobtuse and is preferably approximately a right angle) between the spacerand the body. The deflectable flange is urged within the interior of acavity defined by an upper body, for example, the distance between theelbow and the interior being smaller than the peripheral flangedistance, so that the deflectable flange is deflected at the bend regionupon impingement of a portion of the interior of the cavity on theperipheral flange. Sufficient heat is applied to the bent portion (here,the bend region) of the deflectable flange to soften the thermoplasticmaterial at the bend region. The upper body and the article areseparated, whereby the bend region remains deflected upon cooling,yielding a smooth edge (i.e., periphery) on the article.

This method can be used to form a smooth edge about the entire peripheryof the article. To do so, the deflectable flange is formed about alledges of the article and the interior of the cavity is configured tosimultaneously impinge upon the deflectable flange about all edges ofthe article when the deflectable flange is urged within the interior. Inthe resulting article, the peripheral edge is effectively ‘hidden’(e.g., it is behind the deflected peripheral flange or deflected awayfrom the periphery of the article) so that materials (e.g., thin plasticfilms or animal tissue) which contact the periphery of the article willbe less likely to contact the peripheral edge of the thermoplasticmaterial from which the article is made. The peripheral edge 110 is‘hidden’ within the deflected portion of the deflectable flange whenthat edge cannot be seen directly (i.e., by direct line-of-sight, andnot by viewing reflections, by bending, breaking, or stretching thetray, or by looking through the thermoplastic sheet, even if it isclear) from any angle in the finished article. An advantage of such ahidden edge is that it can be very difficult for any fragile film ortissue to contact the edge and be damaged by its potential sharpness orroughness.

The disclosure also relates to a method of forming a sealed compartment.This method includes steps of thermoforming a thermoplastic precursorsheet to form an article having a concave compartment surrounded bysubstantially planar sealing surface, cutting the article from theprecursor sheet peripherally to the sealing surface, forming a smoothedge about the entire periphery of the article as described herein, andthereafter sealing a top sheet to the sealing surface to form the sealedcompartment. In one embodiment of this method, the top sheet is trimmedperipherally about the sealing surface after it is sealed to the sealingsurface. In another embodiment, the top sheet is heat-sealed to thesealing surface.

The disclosure further relates to a method of forming a sealedcompartment. This method includes steps of thermoforming a thermoplasticprecursor sheet to form an article having a concave compartmentsurrounded by substantially planar sealing surface, cutting the articlefrom the precursor sheet peripherally to the sealing surface, forming asmooth edge about the entire periphery of the article as describedabove, and thereafter wrapping and sealing a flexible plastic film aboutthe article to form the sealed compartment.

In some embodiments of the methods described herein, after urging thedeflectable flange within the interior of the cavity and beforeseparating the upper body and the article, a ram can be urged into theinterior, closely opposed against the interior, behind the deflectableflange to an extent that a face of the ram impinges upon and furtherdeflects the deflectable flange, for example, at the bend region. Theface can be substantially planar, for example. The face can also besubstantially perpendicular to the portion of the interior that impingesupon the peripheral flange. The face can define an obtuse angle with theportion of the interior that impinges upon the peripheral flange. Theface can have a concave profile, relative to the interior. If the ram isheated, urging the ram against the deflectable flange can cause bendingof the portions of the deflectable flange which contact the ram, furtherdeflecting the peripheral edge of the thermoplastic sheet away from theperiphery of the shaped article.

The disclosure also relates to a method of making non-circularcontainers having a smooth periphery (i.e., containers having anon-circular rim surrounding an orifice). This method includesthermoforming a thermoplastic sheet using a mold to yield a precursorarticle that has a shaped body which includes a concave compartmentsurrounded by a rim. The rim includes an extension that surrounds andextends peripherally away from the body and a spacer that surrounds andis offset from the extension by an angle (angle A in FIG. 1A) of from 75to 120 degrees. The spacer is connected with the extension by way of asmoothly-curved bend region. Once the precursor article has been formedin the sheet, the sheet is cut peripherally about the rim to remove theprecursor article from the sheet. The peripheral edge of thethermoplastic sheet is borne by the spacer and is situated peripherallyabout the precursor article. At least a portion of the rim of theprecursor article is heated to at least the glass transition temperature(GTT) of the thermoplastic, rendering it sufficiently soft that it canbe shaped. A ram is impinged against the spacer to deflect the spacertoward the extension, decreasing the magnitude of angle A and causingthe spacer to deflect and/or curl toward the body. Curling and/ordeflection can be continued to a desired extent, and then the heatedportion of the rim is cooled below the GTT of the thermoplastic whilethe spacer remains deflected to yield the container having a smoothperiphery.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 consists of FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C and illustrates the basicoperation of the structures and methods described herein. Parallelstraight lines “//” indicate positions at which structures, dimensions,and proportions which can optionally be present are omitted for clarity.

FIG. 1A illustrates a sectional view of a thermoplastic article 100having a deflectable flange 160 formed at an edge thereof. Thedeflectable flange 160 in this embodiment includes an extension 50, abend region 150, a spacer 140, and a peripheral flange 120. Theextension 50 connects the shaped body 10 of the article 100 to the bendregion 150 of the deflectable flange 160. A spacer 140 can be (andpreferably is) interposed between the bend region 150 and the peripheralflange 120. The peripheral flange 120 is connected to the spacer 140 byway of an elbow 130, which is shown as a right-angle (angle F) bend inthis embodiment. The bend region 150 connects the extension 50 and thespacer 140 at an approximately right angle (the angle designated A). Theperipheral flange 120 terminates at the peripheral edge 110 of thethermoplastic material (represented by a thick solid line in thisfigure) of which the article 100 is formed.

FIG. 1B illustrates the thermoplastic article 100 inserted within theinterior of an upper body 200, which is shown as a broken-away portion(indicated by the rough line). In this embodiment, impingement of theperipheral edge 110 of peripheral flange 120 upon the inner surface 202of the upper body 200 causes the deflectable flange 160 to deflect,owing to bending of the deflectable flange 160 at one or more points Bwithin the bend region 150.

FIG. 1C illustrates the outcome of inserting ram 300 (only a broken-awayportion shown, as indicated by the rough line) into the interior of theupper body 200 behind the thermoplastic article 100 (i.e., when the ram300 is inserted into the structures illustrated in FIG. 1B). The ram 300is closely opposed against the inner surface 202 of the upper body 200and the peripheral edge 110 of peripheral flange 120 impinges upon theupper face 302 of the ram 300, causing even greater deflection of thedeflectable flange 160 and yielding a rounded periphery to article 100at the point(s) B at which bending is induced within the bend region150.

FIG. 2 consists of FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D and illustrates a matchedupper body 200 and ram 300 for deflecting one or more deflectableflanges 160 formed on the periphery of a shaped thermoplastic articlehaving the conformation of a rectangular tray with rounded corners. FIG.2A illustrates the upper body 200 disposed above the ram 300, and FIG.2B illustrates the upper body 200 engaged with the ram 300. FIG. 2C is acutaway view of the engaged upper body 200 and ram 300 shown in FIG. 2Band illustrates that a portion of the ram 300 fits within and closelyopposed to the interior surface of a recess in the upper body 200. FIG.2D is a detail of the section indicated in FIG. 2C and illustrates theclose opposition between the ram 300 and the interior of the upper body200. In FIG. 2D, the sloping conformation of the upper face 302 of theram 300 is apparent.

FIG. 3 consists of FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C, which are images of a smoothedperiphery and corner of a clear, shaped thermoplastic article having theconformation of a rectangular tray with rounded corners. The article wassmoothed using an upper body 200 and ram 300 similar to thoseillustrated in FIG. 2. In FIG. 3A, a finger is visible within theinterior of the tray, and the smoothed corner is visible to the left ofthe finger. Also visible at the portion where the finger is located is astacking lug, which is a portion of the corner of the tray which extendsperipherally to a greater extent than the portion of the corner belowthe finger. Extending (downwardly in the figure) from the smoothedcorner is a smoothed straight sidewall of the tray. Wrinkling of theperipheral flange is visible beneath the smoothed corner, and deflectionof the peripheral flange under the smoothed straight edge can be seenbehind the corner on the left side of the figure. FIG. 3B is anotherview of a smoothed corner of a similarly-made tray, also seen from belowthe rim of the tray. The prominent extension at the corner just belowthe rim is a stacking lug. FIG. 3C is a view of the smoothed corner,with a finger pointing to a smooth region formed by softening, bending,and cooling of the bend region of the deflectable flange. This smoothregion can, for example, be urged against a thin plastic film withouttearing it easily, since the relatively sharp edge of the thermoplasticmaterial from which the tray is formed is bent under the corner, asshown in FIGS. 3A and 3B.

FIG. 4 illustrates a section taken through a storage container article100 being formed using the methods described herein (parallel straightlines “//” indicate positions at which structures, dimensions, andproportions which can optionally be present are omitted for clarity). Inthe figure, the article 100 has a deflectable flange 160 formed on eachof the sides of the container visible in the figure. A single upper body200 extends across the entire container, including around the sides atwhich the deflectable flanges 160 are located. A single ram 300 (onlytwo portions shown in the figure) has been inserted within the interiorof the cavity in the upper body 200 behind the article 100. Theperipheral edge 110 of the thermoplastic sheet from which article 100 isformed, infringes upon the upper face 302 of the ram 300 at eachdeflectable flange 160, causing the deflectable flange 160 to deflectinwardly toward the body of the article 100 by flexing at one or moreportions B of the bend region 150 of each deflectable flange 160.Application of heat at B in an amount sufficient to soften thethermoplastic sheet causes the deflectable flanges 160 to retainapproximately the conformation shown in this figure, with the peripheraledges 110 of the thermoplastic sheet positioned anti-peripherally (i.e.,within the periphery of the article 100, which occurs at the positionsindicated by B in this figure), yielding smooth peripheries to theformed container upon cooling of the softened portions.

FIG. 5 consists of FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C, each of which illustrates asection taken through a storage container article 100 being formed usingthe methods described herein (parallel straight lines “//” indicatepositions at which structures, dimensions, and proportions which canoptionally be present are omitted for clarity). In the figure, thearticle 100 has a deflectable flange 160 formed on each of the sides ofthe container visible in the figure. The deflectable flanges 160 havebeen deflected inwardly by infringement thereupon by the upper face 302of a single ram 300 (only two portions shown in the figure) at eachdeflectable flange 160. The peripheral edge 110 of the thermoplasticsheet from which article 100 is formed infringes upon the upper face 302of the ram 300 at each deflectable flange 160, causing the deflectableflange 160 to deflect inwardly toward the body of the article 100 byflexing at one or more portions B of the bend region 150 of eachdeflectable flange 160. Application of heat at B in an amount sufficientto soften the thermoplastic sheet causes the deflectable flanges 160 toretain approximately the conformation shown in this figure, with theperipheral edges 110 of the thermoplastic sheet positionedanti-peripherally (i.e., within the periphery of the article 100, whichoccurs at the positions indicated by B in this figure), yielding smoothperipheries to the formed container upon cooling of the softenedportions. In this embodiment, the two parts of the ram 300 are shownwith different profiles (one flat and one curved), to illustratedifferences in deflection that can be induced by the different profiles.FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C differ in the distance between the elbow and theperipheral edge, this distance being greater in FIG. 5A than in FIG. 5Band being zero in FIG. 5C.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, and 6E illustrate deflectable flanges formed intray-shaped articles thermoformed from a sheet of thermoplasticmaterial. In each of FIGS. 6A and 6B, a finger touches the sharp edge(i.e., the peripheral edge 110 at the periphery of peripheral flange120) where the tray has been cut from the sheet. In these figures, thedeflectable flange has not yet been softened, deflected, and cooled, sothe sharp edge remains positioned about the periphery of the tray. Bycomparison, the sharp edge has been deflected inwardly and away from theperiphery of the trays shown in FIG. 3 and in the tray shown in thelower portion of FIG. 6C. The tray shown in the upper portion of FIG. 6Cis the same as that shown in the lower portion, differing in that thetray in the upper portion has not had its deflectable flange “rolledover” as the tray in the lower portion has. FIG. 6D is a view from theunderside of a rounded rectangular tray which has a “rolled over” edgeabout its entire periphery. The absence of sharp edges at or near theperiphery of this tray is visible. FIG. 6E is an oblique view of threeinitially-identical trays, each having a “rolled over” edge as describedherein, the degree to which the edge has been “rolled over” differingamong the three. The tray labeled “1” has a peripheral edge that hasonly barely been “rolled over” (i.e., the portion of the deflectableflange including the peripheral edge 110 has been deflected not morethan about 45 degrees inwardly from the plane of the remainder of thespacer 140, most which remains substantially flat in this tray. The traylabeled “2” has a peripheral edge that has been more fully “rolledover”—so much so that the peripheral edge 110 can nearly not be seen (ithas been ‘tucked’ behind the remaining visible portion of the spacer140). On the tray labeled “3,” the deflectable flange has been rolledover further still and the peripheral edge 110 cannot be seen. That thedeflectable flange of tray “3” has been rolled over to a greater degreethan that of tray “2” is detectable by virtue of the shorter portion ofspacer 140 that remains visible on tray “3” than on tray “2” (and thevisible portion of spacer 140 of each of trays “2” and “3” is shorterthan the visible portion of spacer 140 of tray “1.”) The three traysshown in FIG. 6E can thus be thought to illustrate discrete degrees of“rolling over” of the deflectable flange.

FIG. 7 consists of FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C and illustrate an embodiment inwhich an article 100 formed of a thermoplastic sheet (parallel straightlines “//” indicate positions at which structures, dimensions, andproportions which can optionally be present are omitted for clarity)resting on a horizontal surface (solid horizontal line) has itsperipheral edges smoothed as described herein. In this embodiment, anupper body 200 (two portions shown in this cross section) is loweredover the article 100 in the direction indicated by the open arrow,causing each of the article's two deflectable flanges 160 to deflectinwardly. In FIG. 7A, outwardly-flared portions of the upper body 200have just contacted the peripheral flanges 120 of the article 100 as theupper body 200 is lowered onto the article toward the horizontalsurface; the deflectable flanges are beginning to deflect at the areasmarked “B.” In FIG. 7B, the upper body 200 has been lowered onto thehorizontal surface, and the peripheral edges 110 and the peripheralflanges 120 of the article 100 are partially deflected inwardly towardthe body 10 of the article 100. In FIG. 7C, the ram 300 has beeninserted, in the direction indicated by the open arrow, into a cavity inthe upper body 200 behind the article 100 and further deflects theperipheral flanges 120 (and, with them, the deflectable flanges 160)through bending of the thermoplastic sheet of which the article isformed at the areas marked “B.”

FIG. 8 consists of FIGS. 8A, 8Ai, 8B, 8Bi, 8C, 8Ci, 8D, 8Di, 8Dii, 8E,8F, 8G, 8H, 8Hi, 8J, 8Ji, 8K, and 8Ki, and illustrates deflection androlling over of the deflectable flange 160, including the sharpperipheral edge 110 thereof using a ram 300 as described herein. Each ofFIGS. 8A-8C, 8E-8G, and 8H-8K is a cross-sectional view including onlyone edge of the article; the same deflection and rolling over of theedge can be performed on multiple edges (e.g., all edges) of the articlesimply by using multiple rams or a ram that contacts all edges to be sotreated. FIGS. 8Ai, 8Bi, 8Ci, 8Hi, 8Ji, and 8Ki are copies of FIGS. 8A,8B, 8C, 8H, 8J, and 8K, respectively, each identifying the offset angleOA (i.e., the angle between the plane of the extension and the angle ofthe deflected spacer).

FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C sequentially depict the effect of urging the shapedarticle 100 farther against the ram 300 in the direction indicated bythe open arrow in each figure, as can be seen by comparing the portionof the article appearing in the left portion of each figure. In theembodiment shown in FIGS. 8A-8C, the deflectable flange 160 lacks anelbow and a peripheral flange. The initial (pre-ram-impingement)conformation of the shaped article is that shown in FIG. 9A.

In FIG. 8A, the article has been urged against the ram such that itsdeflectable flange 160 contacts the upper face 302 of the ram at itsperipheral edge. The deflectable flange 160 deflects from itspre-contact position by virtue of resistance to movement encountered bythe deflectable flange as it contacts the inclined portion of the upperface 302. In the figure, the peripheral edge 110 of the deflectableflange rests against the upper face at a position where the inclinedportion of the upper face transitions to a curved contour and a portionof the spacer is in close proximity to the ram, which is heated andtransfers heat to the spacer.

FIG. 8B shows the effect of urging the article 100 depicted in FIG. 8Afurther against the ram 300. Because the ram 300 shown in FIG. 8B isheated, it softens the material from which the deflectable flange 160 ismade at portions where the deflectable flange is in close proximity toor contacts the upper face 302 of the heated ram 300. Because of theshape of the upper face 302, the deflectable flange 160 reaches aposition at which it can no longer advance by merely sliding along theupper face surface. Because the article 100 (including the deflectableflange 160) is being urged in the direction indicated by the open arrow,and because the material of which the deflectable flange is constructedhas been softened by the heated ram 300, the deflectable flange deforms(at positions B) to follow the contour of the upper face 302 of the ramas the deflectable flange is advanced against the ram.

FIG. 8C shows the effect of continuing to urge the article 100 depictedin FIG. 8B against the heated ram 300. As the article (including thedeflectable flange 160) is urged in the direction indicated by the openarrow, the deflectable flange continues to bend where softened bycontact with the heated ram (i.e., at positions B). As movement of thedeflectable flange against the ram continues, the peripheral edge 110 ofthe deflectable flange eventually reaches an edge of the upper face 302of the ram. The portion of the deflectable flange including theperipheral edge remains softened for a period of time (the period beingdependent on the operating conditions in predictable ways). If theperipheral end contacts a portion of the article 100 while softened, itcan be deflected thereby (e.g., upwardly, as suggested in the embodimentshown in FIG. 8C). Deflection of the portion of the peripheral flangeleaving contact with the upper face can also be influenced by thecontour of the upper face 302, for example inducing a “curled” or“spiraling” conformation as shown in FIG. 8C.

FIG. 8D illustrates using one or more objects to assist with deflectionand rolling over of the deflectable flange as describe herein. Object401 (referred to elsewhere herein as a plug) is disposed within aninterior compartment of the shaped article 100 and abuts against aninner surface of the shaped article 100 during impingement of thedeflectable flange 160 against the ram 300, in order to reduce orprevent inward deflection of the inner surface during the operation.Object 403 applies downward pressure (open arrow) against, in thisembodiment, the extension 50 portion of the deflectable flange 160, inorder to impinge the deflectable flange 160 against the upper surface302 of the ram 300. In this embodiment, object 402 rigidly connectsobjects 401 and 403. Filled arrows depict forces imposed upon thearticle 100 upon application of the downward pressure. FIG. 8Di depictsa shaped article in the form of a rounded rectangular tray T having aninterior and a plug P that is shaped and dimensioned to fit within thatinterior, so as to act as object 401 in FIG. 8D and to reduce or preventinward deflection of the side walls of the tray T during the rollingover of the deflectable flange of the tray T. FIG. 8Dii shows the pluginserted within the interior of the tray.

FIGS. 8E, 8F, and 8G (analogously to FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C) sequentiallydepict the effect of urging the shaped article 100 farther against theram 300 in the direction indicated by the open arrow in each figure. Inthe embodiment shown in FIGS. 8E-8G, the deflectable flange 160 includesa peripheral flange 120 at the peripheral end of the spacer 140. In thisfigure, it can be seen the peripheral flange 120 deflects during bendingof the deflectable flange 160 to the extent that it becomesindistinguishable from the spacer 140.

FIGS. 8H, 8J, and 8K (analogously to FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C; FIG. 8I isdeliberately omitted) sequentially depict the effect of urging theshaped article 100 farther against the ram 300 in the directionindicated by the open arrow in each figure. In the embodiment shown inFIGS. 8H-8K, the deflectable flange 160 includes a peripheral flange 120at the peripheral end of the spacer 140. In these figures, it can beseen the peripheral flange 120 deflects during bending of thedeflectable flange 160 to the extent that it becomes completely bentover the spacer 140, forming a ‘hook’-like structure. B in FIG. 8Jindicates that bending is occurring in the portion of the deflectableflange 160 spanning the indicated portion of the upper face 302 of theram 300.

FIG. 9 consists of FIGS. 9A, 9B, 9C, 9D, 9E, and 9F and illustrates abeneficial feature of one embodiment of the shaped articles disclosedherein.

FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view of one edge of an article 100 showingthe conformation of its deflectable flange 160 prior to the rolling-overoperation described herein, including the property that the potentiallysharp or rough peripheral edge 110 is accessible to contact a film usedto seal the article or another nearby film or object. FIG. 9B is across-sectional view of one edge of an article 100 have a peripheraledge 110 rolled over by the technique illustrated in FIGS. 8A-8C.Relative to the article engaged with the ram illustrated in FIG. 8C, thedeflectable flange 160 of the article has ‘rebounded’ in a peripheraldirection following disengagement from the ram. Because the plasticmaterial of which the article is constructed is flexible, therolled-over edge shown in FIG. 9B exhibits ‘springiness’ when urged indirections normal to the plane of the figure, such as in the directionsindicated by the open arrows.

FIG. 9C is a cross sectional view of the edges of three of the articles100 shown in FIG. 9B, the articles being stacked in a nestedconfiguration. Because each of the article has the same shapes (e.g., atray like the one shown in the lower portion of FIG. 6C), each articlecan nest and be urged together until its rolled-over edge contacts thetray above and/or below it. FIG. 9C illustrates three thus-stackednested trays, with open arrows indicating positions at which standardde-nesting equipment can be employed to separate the nested trays.Fingers or threads, for example, can engage the inter-tray regions atthese positions, the fingers or threads being operable (per ordinaryde-nesting procedures) to separate the trays from one another forindividual use.

FIG. 9D is an image of a prior art thermoformed plastic tray having astacking lug (the corner extension beneath the rim, toward which thefinger in the image is pointing). The stacking lug serves to maintain acontrolled separation distance between stacked trays, as shown in theleft portion of FIG. 9E (which is an image of two of these prior arttrays stacked against one another, with the inter-tray distance beinglimited by the stacking lug). The right portion of FIG. 9E shows twostacked, nested trays having rolled-over edges (as illustrateddiagrammatically in FIG. 9C with three trays). An inter-tray division isvisible between the rims of the two stacked trays. FIG. 9E illustratesthat two trays having rolled-over edges as described herein can bestacked in a separable way in a smaller volume than can prior art trayshaving stacking lugs. FIG. 9F shows, on its left side, three nested andstacked trays having rolled-over edges and having stacking extensions180 formed into the corners thereof to increase separation between thestraight edges of the stacked trays. The three stacked trays havingstacking extensions 180 can be seen to have greater separation (largebrackets on left side of figure) than the separation (small brackets onright side of figure) of three otherwise-identical stacked trays lackingstacking extensions.

FIG. 10 consists of FIGS. 10A, 10B, and 10C. FIG. 10A is an image of aram 300 having a shaped article 100 in the form of a rimmed, roundedrectangular tray borne thereby. In the lower right portion of the imagecan be seen the upper surface 302 in which a second article could bedisposed, but which does not currently bear an article. In the article100 borne by the ram 300 in the upper part of the figure, it can be seenthat the extension 50 connects the spacer 140 and peripheral flange 120portions of the deflectable flange to the body 10 of the article 100.The spacer 140 and peripheral flange 120 are carried by the uppersurface of the ram 300 in the upper part of the figure, and that uppersurface (analogous to upper surface 302 in the lower right portion ofthe figure) cannot therefore be seen directly. “10B” indicates a portionof the ram 300 shown (with the shaped article 100 removed) in FIG. 10B.In FIG. 10B, portions of the upper surface 302 of the ram 300 can beseen. Dashed line 10C-10C in FIG. 10B indicates the approximate positionof the cross-section depicted in FIG. 10C, and letters A-E are includedas landmarks so that the surface configuration of the ram 300 can bebetter understood by comparing FIGS. 10B and 10C. FIG. 10C is adiagrammatic cross-section of the ram 300 shown in FIG. 10B, includinglandmark letters A-E.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to formation of shapedthermoplastic articles, and more specifically to articles which areformed such that one or more of the edges of the article has aconformation wherein the peripheral edge of a thermoplastic sheet fromwhich the article is formed is turned away from a face of the article,and preferably away from the periphery of the article, so that a fragilematerial (e.g., flesh or a thin, flexible plastic sheet) that is appliedagainst the face or periphery does not contact the edge of the sheet.Because such sheet edges can be sharp, especially when the edge has beencut or broken, directing the edge away from a face and/or periphery ofthe article can prevent damage to fragile materials which contact theface or periphery.

The subject matter disclosed herein is of particular use in formingcontainers which will be sealed with fragile plastic films appliedagainst a face of the container or in which the container is wrapped.

For example, in MAP sealing techniques, one face of a sheet of flexibleplastic sealing film is urged against a planar perimeter (e.g., theextension region of the deflectable flange described herein) surroundingan orifice, such as the orifice of a concave tray-shaped container, sothat the face of the plastic film contacts the face of the planarperimeter about the entire perimeter of the orifice (thereby closing theorifice). In this configuration, the sealing film can be adhered to orfused with the perimeter to seal the orifice and sequester the contentsof the container between the film and the concave interior of the tray.After such adhesion or fusion, some or all portions of the film beyondthe perimeter can be trimmed therefrom to yield a neatly-sealedcontainer having a tab for peeling the film tangentially from thecontainer perimeter or having little or no free film edge capable of‘flapping’ freely beyond the perimeter.

Further by way of example, a container having peripheral edges that areturned away from the overall periphery of the container can be enwrappedwithin one or more layers of plastic film. Such containers willtypically be tautly wrapped with plastic film, meaning that a face ofthe plastic film will generally conform against faces of the container(e.g., a flat bottom portion of the container) and/or edges of thecontainer (e.g., against the lateral periphery of the container, such asthe smooth peripheral flange described herein) and be tensionedsufficiently that the film includes no ‘slack’ therein, but is insteadtightly drawn against the faces/edges of the container and, optionally,contents of the container which extend beyond its concave interior.Tension in wrapping films tends to urge the film against the faces andedges of the container, which is one reason sharp and rough portions ofprior containers have proven unsatisfactory (such regions can damage orcut films). The containers described herein present flat or curvedsurfaces to plastic films which contact them, decreasing the likelihoodthat such films will be cut or damaged when used to seal the containers.

In a preferred embodiment disclosed herein, the peripheral edge of thethermoplastic sheet from which the article is formed is turned away fromthe article's periphery so far that the resulting article is suitablefor use in any or all of OW, VSP, and MAP sealing technologies.Desirably, thermoformable and moldable plastics tend to be widelyacceptable in recycling programs, and articles made therefrom can bemore readily recycled than, for example, foamed plastic articles.

Briefly summarized, the basic method described herein for forming ashaped thermoplastic article having a smooth edge involves forming adeflectable flange at the periphery of the article. The deflectableflange includes the potentially-sharp or—rough peripheral edge of thethermoplastic material from which the article is formed. The deflectableflange is softened (i.e., raised to a temperature at or above the glasstransition temperature (GTT) of the material of which the flange isformed, and preferably a temperature less than the melting point of thematerial) at one or more portions thereof so that the peripheral edge isdirected away from the periphery of the article when the deflectableflange is deflected toward the body of the article (preferably ‘hiding’the peripheral edge between the deflected portion of the deflectableflange and the extension, the body, or both. Cooling (i.e., stiffening)the softened and deflected deflectable flange below its GTT “locks” theperipheral edge in that position, lessening the likelihood that material(e.g. flesh or film) that contacts the periphery of the article will bedamaged by the sharpness or roughness of the peripheral edge.

It is the presence of the deflectable flange formed at the peripherythat permits peripheral edges (and, particularly, curved edges andcorners of peripheral edges) to be “rolled over” to yield a smoothperiphery. In previous trays which included an exterior flange (e.g., atray having a periphery like that shown in FIG. 1A, lacking the bendregion 150, the spacer 140, the elbow 130, and the peripheral flange120, and having the peripheral edge 110 at the periphery of theextension 50), bending or rolling of the exterior flange might have beenpossible along straight edges, but bending or rolling curved edges andcorners of such exterior flanges could not be performed without bucklingor wrinkling of the material in the flange, yielding an undesirablenon-smooth edge. It is the presence of the smooth bend region 150 andthe spacer 140 of the deflectable flange described herein that permitsthe peripheral edge 110 to be deflected away from the periphery of thearticle without such buckling or wrinkling, yielding a smooth periphery.It can be seen from FIGS. 1, 4, 5, 7, and 8 that the bending, flexing,and curling that the deflectable flange undergoes can be effected in anyone or more of the extension 50, the bend region 150, the spacer 140,the elbow 130, the peripheral flange 120, and even at the peripheraledge 110. Whichever one or ones of these elements are caused to bend ordeflect in order to achieve the effect, the resulting disposition of thepotentially sharp peripheral edge 110 away from the periphery of thearticle, and preferably not reasonably accessible from the exterior ofthe article at its periphery yields an article having a smooth peripherywhich is suitable for contacting with fragile films, tissues, or othersurfaces.

In one embodiment, the deflectable flange includes a peripheral flangethat (prior to deflection of the deflectable flange) juts outs in aperipheral direction from the article and is attached to the spacer (orto a portion of the spacer) by way of an elbow (e.g., a 90-degree turnor a turn through some other acute or obtuse angle, angle F in FIG. 1A),such as one of 60-120 degrees) in the thermoplastic material that formsthe article. The body of the article is attached to the spacer by way ofa bend region, which defines an angle (angle A in FIG. 1A; preferably anapproximately right angle) between the spacer and the portion of thebody adjacent the bend region (i.e., this portion will usually be theextension which serves to connect the body to the bend region). Thedeflectable flange is inserted into the interior of a cavity in a body(e.g., an upper body 200 or a ram 300) such that the peripheral flangeis impinged by a wall of cavity, thereby deflecting the deflectableflange in the direction of the body of the article. Upon such deflection(i.e., before, during, and/or after), heat is applied to the bend regionthat is sufficient to soften or melt the thermoplastic material at thebend region, so that the deflectable flange remains deflected toward thebody when the bend region cools. Optionally, a ram can be inserted intothe cavity after the deflectable flange, and a face of the ram whichcontacts the deflected peripheral flange can induce further deflectionof the deflectable flange, further displacing the peripheral edge of thearticle away from the periphery of the article upon cooling. In thisway, a smooth, “rolled” edge of the thermoplastic material forms theoutermost periphery of the article, while the peripheral edge of thethermoplastic material remains within the outermost periphery of thearticle, where the sharpness of that edge is less likely to damagefragile materials which contact the outermost periphery of the article.

In another embodiment, the deflectable flange is contacted with a ramthat deflects the deflectable flange in a direction that deflects thesharp edge of the thermoplastic sheet away from the periphery of thearticle. Before, during, or after such deflection, one or more portionsof the deflectable flange (e.g., the bend region, the spacer, the elbow,the peripheral flange, any portion(s) that contact the ram, or acombination of these) are heated sufficiently to soften thethermoplastic material, and the deflectable flange is thereafter cooledto “lock in” the deflection. Depending on the degree of deflection, theperipheral edge of the thermoplastic material can be simply turned awayfrom the periphery of the article, turned in a direction approximatelyopposite the periphery, or even “rolled up” by deflecting thedeflectable flange at a sufficiently tight radius while it is softenedthat a J-shaped, U-shaped, or even spiral-shaped conformation isachieved (i.e., any shape yielding a substantially smooth periphery),with the peripheral edge being thereby rendered virtually incapable ofdamaging flesh or film present at the periphery of the article.

Individual elements and aspects of the shaped articles and methods formaking them are now described in greater detail.

The Shaped Article

The methods described herein are believed to be applicable to articleshaving a wide range of shapes and sizes, especially articles whichnormally have a sharp peripheral edge when made by common methods.Motivation for making shaped thermoplastic articles with smooth edgesstemmed in part from a desire to make common storage trays (e.g.,plastic trays used for storing, carrying, or displaying foodstuffs suchas fresh or frozen meats, fruits, or vegetables) having edges that aresufficiently dull (non-sharp) that the trays can be wrapped in orcontacted with thin plastic films (such as polyvinylidene chloride andpolyethylene films) without the film being cut or punctured by the trayedge under normal usage conditions. However, once the methods describedherein were developed, it was recognized that the smooth, roundedperipheries (i.e., ‘edges’ of the overall tray) are desirable in avariety of other situations, such as preventing injury to the flesh ofhumans handling trays and other shaped articles and preventing damage tofilms sealing one tray by sharp edges of a second sealed tray (e.g., asin a shipping container containing multiple film-sealed trays).

By way of example, a common method of making shaped articles such asmeat trays is by thermoforming a sheet of a thermoplastic. Inthermoforming processes, a portion of a long sheet of a thermoplastic israised to a temperature at which the thermoplastic softens and can bemolded. The softened thermoplastic is applied against the surface of oneor more molds (often with the aid of negative air pressure to ensure atight opposition of the softened thermoplastic film against the moldsurface). As the film cools (e.g., upon contact with the mold surface),the thermoplastic hardens and becomes less easily deformable, resultingin the thermoplastic film attaining and retaining the shape imposed uponit by the molding process. Multiple casts are often made of the samearticle in a single sheet of film in thermoforming processes, and theindividual articles are freed from the film by cutting (e.g., diecutting) the film about the periphery of the article. This process tendsto yield a sharp edge at the cut portions of the film, including a sharpedge that surrounds all or a portion of the periphery of the article(i.e., where the article was cut from the film).

Further by way of example, a thermoplastic material can be melted in anextruder and injected into a mold cavity which defines the shape of themolded article. After cooling, the mold can be opened to release themolded article. In molding processes, it is common for thermoplasticmaterial to appear at parts of the finished articles where it is notdesired, such as “flashing” that occurs when molten thermoplastic flowsbetween mold plates or at the ports through which the moltenthermoplastic was fed into the closed mold. These non-desired parts canbe sharp in their own right, and sharp edges can be left when thesenon-desired parts are cut from the molded article.

The size and shape of the articles described herein are not critical. Ingeneral, the shaped articles will be ones for which handling of thearticles or contact between peripheral edges of the article and one ormore fragile materials is anticipated. The edge-smoothing processdescribed herein can remove one or more sharp edges from thermoplasticarticles which normally have such sharp edges, regardless of themethod(s) by which the articles are produced.

The Smoothing Method

The periphery of a thermoplastic article—particularly one formed from abent or shaped sheet of a thermoplastic material—can be smoothed by aprocess that includes forming a deflectable flange near the periphery ofthe edge to be smoothed, deflecting a portion of the flange to displacethe edge from the periphery of the article (thereby generating a bentportion of the flange upon deflection), softening the bent portion atleast while the flange is in the deflected position, and re-hardeningthe bent portion while the flange is in the deflected position. Thisprocess is illustrated in FIG. 1. The portion of the deflectable flange160 that can be softened and bent can be the bend region 150 or,preferably, a portion of the deflectable flange distal to the bendregion 150, but proximal to the peripheral edge 110. By way of example,softening the spacer 140 permits its peripheral portion, including theelbow 130, peripheral flange 120 (if these two elements are present),and peripheral edge 110 to be bent inwardly (i.e., toward the body 10 ofthe article 100) sufficiently to displace the peripheral edge 110 awayfrom the periphery of the article.

Preferably, at least a portion of the spacer 140 is softened and bentsufficiently that the peripheral edge 110 is “rolled over,” such thatthe peripheral edge 110 is positioned where a film that overwraps thearticle or that is draped across the article does not contact theperipheral edge 110, even if the film is pulled taut. Still morepreferably, the deflectable flange 160 is rolled over sufficiently thatthe peripheral edge 110 is visually obscured by the spacer 140 or thebend region 150 so that the peripheral edge 110 cannot be seen when thearticle 100 is viewed horizontally from its periphery (i.e., from itsperipheral side). For example, the deflectable flange 160 can be rolledover sufficiently that the portion of the spacer 140 that bears theperipheral edge 110 “points” toward the body 10 or toward the underside161 of a portion of the deflectable flange 160.

It is the peripheral-most portion of the spacer 140 that bears theperipheral edge 110, whether as simply an edge of the spacer 140 (asshown, for example in FIG. 5C, 8Ai, and 8Bi) or by way of a peripheralflange 120 connected at an elbow 130 to the spacer 140 (as shown, forexample, in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 8Hi, and 8Ji). In order to assess thedirection in which the portion of the spacer 140 bearing the peripheraledge 110 “points,” the orientation of a reference plane extending fromthat portion of the spacer 140 should be determined for that portion.Examples of this reference plane are shown in FIGS. 8Ai, 8Bi, 8Ci, 8Hi,8Ji, and 8Ki as a dashed line (because each of these figures is across-section) aligned with this portion of the spacer 140. In thesituation in which the peripheral edge 110 is simply an edge of thespacer 140 (i.e., in FIGS. 8Ai, 8Bi, and 8Ci), the plane is simply anextension of the spacer at its peripheral-most part. In situations inwhich the peripheral edge 110 is carried by a peripheral flange 120which connects with the adjacent portion of the spacer 140 at an elbow130, the peripheral flange 120 should be ignored when determining thedirection in which the spacer 140 “points.” This also holds true fordetermining the plane of the spacer, as when assessing the offset angleOA.

When the peripheral-most portion of the spacer 140 is substantiallyplanar (e.g., as in FIGS. 8Ai and 8Hi), the reference plane is simplythe plane that is identical to the plane of that portion (i.e., parallelto either surface, or taken through the center-of-thickness of thematerial of the spacer 140; in most instances, these planes will beindistinguishable, in view of the thinness of the materials typicallyused, such as 10-30 thousandths of an inch or “mils”). When theperipheral-most portion of the spacer 140 is curved, however (see, e.g.,FIGS. 8Bi, 8Ci, 8Ji, and 8Ki), the reference plane is the plane that istangent to the peripheral-most portion of the spacer 140, ignoring theperipheral flange 120 (again, the tangent can be taken to either surfaceor through the center-of-thickness of the spacer 140).

By way of example, in the embodiments shown in each of FIGS. 8Ai and8Hi, the portion of the spacer 140 which bears the peripheral edge 110points neither at the shaped body 10 of the article nor at the undersideof the deflectable flange 160 (because the plane extending from theperipheral-most portion of the spacer 140 does not intersect the body 10or any portion of the deflectable flange 160). Further by way ofexample, in the embodiments shown in each of FIGS. 8Bi and 8Ji, theportion of the spacer 140 which bears the peripheral edge 110 points atthe shaped body 10 of the article because the plane extending from theperipheral-most portion of the spacer 140 intersects the body 10. Stillfurther by way of example, in the embodiments shown in each of FIGS. 8Ciand 8Ki, the portion of the spacer 140 which bears the peripheral edge110 points at the underside of the deflectable flange 160 because theplane extending from the peripheral-most portion of the spacer 140intersects the extension 50 of the deflectable flange 160.

FIG. 1A illustrates a thermoplastic article 100 having a body 10 (with,in this figure, an irregular shape; the shape of the body issubstantially immaterial for periphery-smoothing purposes) and adeflectable flange connected with the body 10. The deflectable flangeincludes a peripheral flange 120 which includes a peripheral edge 110 ofthe thermoplastic sheet from which the article 100 is formed. Thedeflectable flange also includes a bend region 150 interposed betweenthe body 10 of the article 100 and the peripheral flange 120. The bendregion 150 is separated from the body 10 by an extension 50, which issimply a flat portion of the thermoplastic sheet in this embodiment. Theperipheral flange 120 is similarly separated from the bend region by aflat portion of the thermoplastic sheet designated the spacer 140 inthis embodiment. The peripheral flange 120 is connected to the remainderof the deflectable flange by an elbow 130 which, in this embodiment, isa portion of the thermoplastic sheet formed into a right angle.

FIG. 1A is a cross-section of such an article 100, in which the solidblack line represents the cross-section of the thermoplastic sheet fromwhich it is formed. The peripheral edge 110 forms the periphery of thearticle 100 because no other portion of the article 100 extends fartherto the right (in this figure), the spacer 140 and the other portions ofthe peripheral flange 120 being nearer to the body 10 than theperipheral edge 110 of the sheet. Thus, if an object were urged againstthe right side (in FIG. 1A) of article 100, the object would tend tocontact peripheral edge 110 and the sharpness of that peripheral edge110 could affect the object, such as by cutting, damaging, or injuringthe object.

In FIG. 1B, the thermoplastic article 100 is inserted within an interiorcavity of an upper body 200. The inner surface 202 of the upper bodyimpinges upon the peripheral flange 120, deflecting it inwardly (i.e.,anti-peripherally) toward the body 10 of the article 100. In thisembodiment, both the peripheral edge 110 of the thermoplastic sheet fromwhich the article 100 is formed and the peripheral-most portion of thebend region 150 are positioned about equally peripherally from the body10. Preferably, the deflectable flange 160 is deflected inwardlysufficiently far that the peripheral edge 110 of the thermoplastic sheetis contained within the interior cavity of the upper body 200. In thisembodiment, the spacer 140 is essentially rigid and substantially allbending occurs within the bend region 150. If heat sufficient to softenthe thermoplastic sheet is applied to the bend region 150 (atapproximately the location identified as “B” in FIG. 1B) and the sheetis subsequently cooled (preferably below its GTT), then the deflectableflange 160 will retain the configuration shown in FIG. 1B (i.e.,deflected relative to its initial conformation shown in FIG. 1A onaccount of impingement of the peripheral edge 110 against the innersurface 202 of the upper body 200) even after upper body 200 isseparated from the article 100. In this deflected conformation, theperipheral edge 110 does not extend peripherally beyond the rounded bendregion 150, and the resulting article will be more suitable for sealingwith a thin plastic film applied to extension 50 and bend region 150than was the original, pre-deformation article shown in FIG. 1A (i.e.,on account of the protuberance of potentially sharp peripheral edge 110beyond the periphery of bend region 150, at which position theperipheral edge 110 might readily snag, abrade, or cut the film).

FIG. 1C illustrates an optional, but preferable step in which a ram 300is inserted within the cavity in the upper body 200 behind the article100 (i.e., sandwiching at least the deflectable flange 160 between theupper body 200 and the ram 300). This step further deflects (relative tothe embodiment shown in FIG. 1B) the deflectable flange 160 towards thebody 10 of the article 100, thereby displacing the (potentially sharp)peripheral edge 110 of the thermoplastic sheet further from theperiphery of the article (i.e., farther from inner surface 202 of theupper body 200). Heating the bend region 150 of the deflectable flange160 sufficiently to at least soften it while it is in the conformationshown in FIG. 1C and subsequently cooling it below its GTT will ‘freeze’the deflectable flange in the conformation shown. In this conformation,the sharp peripheral edge 110 of the sheet from which the article isformed is ‘tucked’ under other portions (e.g., the bend region 150 andthe extension 50, if present) of the deflectable flange 160, and isconsequently less accessible to objects contacting the periphery of thearticle (and less liable to tear, cut, or injure materials which contactthe periphery of the article). For example, if a thin plastic film isapplied to extension 50 and bend region 150, then the film is even lesslikely to be snagged, abraded, or cut by the potentially sharpperipheral edge 110 in this embodiment than it was in the embodimentshown in FIG. 1B. From this progression (i.e., greater deflection inFIG. 1C than in FIG. 1B and FIG. 1A), it can be seen that the more theperipheral edge 110 is deflected away from the periphery of portions ofthe article to which a sealing film is applied, the less likely damageto the film from the edge becomes.

The ram 300 and the upper body 200 each serve the purpose of deflectingthe deflectable flange by impacting upon or against it. These two itemsare therefore essentially interchangeable and can each be used alone orin combinations of two or more ram(s) and upper body(ies). In thisdisclosure, the term “ram” is used to refer to a body that impinges uponthe deflectable flange by being applied thereto or thereagainst in adirection from the portion of the deflectable flange most distal fromthe body of the shaped article. Similarly, the term “upper body” is usedto refer to a body that impinges upon the deflectable flange by beingapplied thereto or thereagainst in about the opposite direction (see,e.g., FIGS. 1C and 4). It is immaterial whether only one of the ram andthe upper body moves (or which one) or whether both move and, if both,whether simultaneously or alternately. So long as the article is heldfast sufficiently to permit a softened part of the deflectable flange tobe deflected, it is possible to use only a single ram or upper body toapply deflective pressure to the deflectable flange.

In the example shown in FIG. 1C, the portions of the ram 300 whichimpinge upon the peripheral flange 120 of the deflectable flange 160while the article is lodged within the cavity in the upper body 200 hasa wedge-shaped cross section. Such a ram can be useful for directing theperipheral flange 120 and peripheral edge 110 anti-peripherally, in thatthe farther the ram is advanced within the interior in the directionfrom the peripheral edge 110 toward the bend region 150, the farther theperipheral flange 120 and peripheral edge 110 will be deflected in ananti-peripherally direction. However, these portions of the ram 300 neednot be wedge-shaped. Substantially any shape of ram 300 that willdeflect the peripheral flange 120 and peripheral edge 110anti-peripherally when the ram 300 is inserted behind the article 100 inthe upper body 200 can be used, such as blunt or rounded (convex orconcave at its upper face 302), or a combination of any of these, forexample as shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 illustrates an alternate method of rolling or otherwise shapingthe edge of an article. As can be seen in FIG. 8A, the deflectableflange 160 in this embodiment lacks an elbow or peripheral flange, andinstead includes only a spacer portion that terminates at the peripheraledge 110 of the thermoplastic sheet. This deflectable flange is urged(in the direction indicated by the open arrows in FIG. 8, regardless ofhow such urging is achieved, such as by moving either or both of thearticle 100 or the ram 300) against the upper surface 302 of a heatedram. When the direction of travel of the deflectable flange closelyparallels the conformation of the upper surface (i.e., as in FIG. 8A),relatively little of the deflectable flange may contact the uppersurface and relatively little heat may be transferred from the ram tothe deflectable flange. However, as shown in FIG. 8B, when relativemovement of the article and the ram cause greater surface contact orgreater proximity between the upper surface of the ram and thedeflectable flange, the interfacial area of contact/proximity can begreater, resulting in greater heat flow from the ram to the deflectableflange. Sufficient heat flow will result in softening of thethermoformable material, causing the deflectable flange to assume theconformation of the upper surface. When, as shown in FIG. 8C, stillfurther relative movement of the article and the ram is made, a greaterportion of the deflectable flange will be softened and deflected. Aswith the embodiment shown in FIG. 1B, it can be seen in this embodimentthat heat suitable for bending the deflectable flange is being applied(at multiple locations B in FIGS. 8B and 8C); however, in order to “rollover” the portion of the deflectable flange that includes the peripheraledge, little or no flexion, and no heat application, is occurring at thebend region 150 (other than perhaps to a small degree as theperipheral-most portions of the bend region 150 approach the heated ram300, as in FIG. 8C). For the purposes of the processes described herein,it is substantially immaterial which portions of the deflectable flangeare softened and bent, so long as the desired result is obtained: thepotentially sharp peripheral edge 110 is deflected away from theperiphery of the article and, preferably, sequestered (as in FIG. 8C)where it is very unlikely to contact any easily-damaged film or tissuewhich contacts the periphery of the shaped article. The deflectableflange can be contacted with, or brought into close proximity with, theram in a single smooth motion, in a plurality of discrete, incrementaladvances, or a combination of these, in order to permit portions of thedeflectable flange to soften sequentially.

As the thermoformable material moves out of contact with the ram (eitherby disengaging the two or, as shown in FIG. 8C, as a portion of thedeflectable flange moves beyond the upper surface of the ram), thethermoformable material can cool and the deflection induced therein willbe retained upon cooling. As shown in FIG. 9B, disengagement of thearticle and the ram results in a rolled-over edge of the article, therolled-over edge having a smooth periphery and being suitable forhandling and/or contact with fragile plastic films.

In FIG. 8A-8C, the deflectable flange was depicted lacking the elbow 130and peripheral flange 120 illustrated in FIG. 1A for the sake ofsimplicity of illustration. Although production of deflectable flangeslacking the elbow and peripheral flange is possible (e.g., bymechanically or laser-cutting the deflectable flange at the spacer 140shown in FIG. 1), such production can be difficult and costly and istherefore of limited practicality in large-scale production operations.For this reason, shaped articles 100, such as those intended for use aspackaging trays for food, that are processed described herein will oftenhave both the elbow and peripheral flange illustrated in FIG. 1A. Such aperipheral flange is frequently present as a by-product of die-cutting athermoformed article from the sheet of thermoplastic from which it wasformed. As illustrated in FIGS. 8E-8K, shaped articles bearing the elbowand peripheral flange can nonetheless be processed using the methods andequipment described herein.

FIGS. 8E-8G depict processing of a shaped article 100 that has adeflectable flange 160 that includes both the peripheral flange 120 andthe elbow 130 described herein, and the processing depicted in thesefigures is roughly analogous to that depicted in FIGS. 8A-8C. In FIG.8E, the peripheral edge of the deflectable flange 120 directly contactsthe upper surface 302 of the ram 300. Because the ram is heated, heat isconducted directly to the peripheral edge where it contacts the ram andby radiation from closely-opposed portions of the spacer 140. Bycontrolling heat flowing from the ram and the residence time of thearticle 100 in the position shown in FIG. 8E, an operator can inducesoftening of portions of the deflectable flange, particularly includingat its peripheral edge and at portions of the spacer near thatperipheral edge. Softening of these portions facilitates bending of thedeflectable flange at the softened portions, such as by urging thearticle further against the ram, such that a curved portion of the uppersurface will induce bending as the more-peripheral portions of thedeflectable flange are driven against the curved portion of the uppersurface by the less-peripheral portions (which transmit force applied tothe article), as shown in FIG. 8F. Further urging of the article againstthe ram, as shown in FIG. 8G, causes the portions of the deflectableflange that are in contact with the upper surface of the ram to slideacross that upper surface. As material is driven beyond positions inwhich it is in contact with the upper surface, it may remain softened(and susceptible to further bending) for a short period of time, or itmay cool and become only deflectable (rather than bendable or moldable).Whether cooled by movement past the heated portion(s) of the ram or byremoving the article from contact with the ram (or even by appliedcooling, such as by directing cool air at shaped portions, by using acooled plug element within the body of the article, or otherwise),cooling of the deflectable flange below its GTT “sets” or “locks in” theconformation of the material at the time of that transition. Thus, byshaping the deflectable flange so that it has the conformation shown inFIG. 8G and cooling it below its GTT, the periphery of the article canbe rendered smooth (both because its bend region 150 is smooth andbecause its spacer 140, including its peripheral edge 110 have beenchanged to have a conformation in which no rough or sharp edges arepresent at the periphery of the article.

As shown in FIG. 8F, the peripheral flange 120 can be partiallydeflected during shaping of the deflectable flange; in the finishedarticle, the peripheral edge preferably “points” toward the body or theunderside of the deflectable flange. As shown in FIG. 8G, shaping of thedeflectable flange will sometimes result in disappearance of theperipheral flange and the elbow interposed between it and the remainderof the spacer. This can occur because the material in the peripheralflange “melts” into the spacer or simply because the angle connectingthe elbow becomes approximately 180 degrees. As can be seen in FIG. 8J,for example, though, the peripheral flange 120 can deflect in adirection that it remains distinct from the remainder of the spacer,potentially forming a hook-like structure. Because such a structurecould position the potentially-sharp or—rough peripheral edge at or nearthe periphery of the article, it is preferable that the deflectableflange be deflected sufficiently that any such hook-like structure iscontained within (relative to the periphery of the article) therolled-over edge, as illustrated in FIG. 8K.

Suitable degrees and extents of deflection of the deflectable flange aredisclosed in the figures herein.

FIGS. 8Ai, 8Bi, and 8Ci are copies of FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C,respectively, which illustrate examples of degrees and extents ofdeflection which are suitable for an embodiment of the deflectableflange in which the spacer 140 does not have a peripheral flange at itsperipheral edge 110 (or has a peripheral flange 120 so small that theperipheral edge 110 is essentially indistinguishable from the elbow130). That is, the structure of the deflectable flange in thisembodiment is equivalent to that shown in FIG. 1A, except that thelength of peripheral flange 120 is zero or nearly zero, so thatperipheral edge 110 and elbow 130 are either identical or indistinct.Prior to urging the deflectable flange 160 against the ram 300, theplane of the extension 50 (i.e., the plane that extends through it alongthe flat portion of it) and the plane of the spacer 140 ((i.e., theplane that extends through it along the flat portion of it adjacent theelbow 130—or adjacent peripheral edge 110, if the peripheral flange 120is absent) are offset from one another by about 90 degrees as describedherein (i.e., angle A; about 75-120 degrees). Thus, if the plane of theextension 50 is horizontal, the plane of the spacer 140 is vertical.FIGS. 8Hi, 8Ji, and 8Ki, are copies of FIGS. 8H, 8J, and 8K,respectively, which illustrate examples of degrees and extents ofdeflection for an embodiment in which the spacer has a significantperipheral flange 120 at its peripheral edge 110

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8Ai, for example, spacer 140 has beendeflected anti-peripherally by ram 300, with substantially no curlingoccurring at its peripheral edge 110. In other words, the offset angleOA between the planes of the extension and the spacer is increased from90 degrees to the amount shown in FIG. 8Ai (i.e., to about 105 degrees).If some or all of the spacer 140 is heated above its GTT and then cooledwhile the spacer 140 is maintained in this state of deflection, then theheated/cooled portion of the spacer will retain this deflection. It canbe seen that the resulting article has the peripheral edge 110 of thespacer 140 deflected inwardly, away from its periphery, by a fraction ofthe length of the extension (i.e., by a fraction of the distance betweenthe periphery of the tray and the exterior of the adjacent shaped body10). Viewed another way, the distance d between the nearest approach ofthe peripheral edge 110 and the exterior of the adjacent shaped body 10(here, the portion of the body 10 that forms the concave compartment) isa fraction of the total peripheral width D of the deflectable flange(i.e., the distance from the compartment of the peripheral-most extentof the rim of the container), where the fraction d/D can be selected tobe, for example, zero, 1/10, ¼, ⅓, ½, ⅔, ¾, or 9/10 (i.e., any value upto one and not less than zero, including all intermediate values).Increasing the fraction d/D can move the peripheral edge 110 fartherfrom the periphery of the article, but requires greater deflection. Itcan also be desirable (e.g., for fitting machine parts within the spacedesignated d in FIG. 8Ai) to select a distance d sufficiently large toaccommodate a desired item between the deflected spacer 140 and theshaped body 10. Thus, an artisan may choose to deflect the deflectableflange so as to leave a space d of a certain dimension, such as fivemillimeters, a quarter inch (or some other value). It can also be seenthat the plane of the spacer 140 (i.e., a plane extending through thespacer at a flat portion adjacent its peripheral edge 110, if thisportion is substantially flat, or a plane tangent to the portion of thespacer adjacent its peripheral edge if that portion is substantiallycurved) is offset from the plane of the extension at an angle OA greaterthan the approximately-90-degree angle that prevailed prior todeflecting the spacer 140. When the spacer 140 does not bear aperipheral flange 120, as is the case in FIG. 8Ai, any substantialincrease in angle OA will result in displacement of peripheral edge 110away from the periphery of the article, and the extent of displacementwill generally increase as the increase in OA is increased. In FIG. 8Ai,OA has been increased to about 105 degrees from its initial value of 90degrees, thereby inducing displacement of peripheral edge 110 away fromthe periphery by a linear distance of approximately D-d. It can be seenthat further increasing OA without curling the spacer 140 at peripheraledge 110 will decrease d, at least for values of OA from 90 to 180degrees or until increasing OA causes the peripheral edge 110 to impingeupon the shaped body 10 (at which point d is zero and may increase ifthe peripheral edge is deflected away from the shaped body 10 uponfurther increase in OA).

Analogous to FIG. 8Ai, FIG. 8Hi illustrates an embodiment in which adeflectable flange 160 which is initially shaped like the one depictedin FIG. 1A except that the spacer 140 is relatively shorter and theperipheral flange 120 is relatively longer in the embodiment shown inFIG. 8Hi. As depicted in FIG. 8Hi, the deflectable flange has beendeflected inwardly by urging against ram 300. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 8Hi, spacer 140 has been deflected anti-peripherally by ram 300,with substantially no curling or bending of the peripheral flange 120 orany other portion of the spacer 140 occurring (other, perhaps, near thejunction between the spacer 140 and the bend region 150). The offsetangle OA between the planes of the extension and of the portion of thespacer adjacent the peripheral flange 120 is increased from about 90degrees (see FIG. 1A) to the amount shown in FIG. 8Hi (in which OA is anangle of about 105 degrees). Some or all of the spacer 140 can be heatedand cooled to retain the conformation of the deflected-heated-and-cooledportion. When the deflectable flange is deflected as shown in FIG. 8Hi,whether or not the potentially-sharp or -rough peripheral edge ofperipheral flange 120 will be present at the periphery of the articledepends upon both the length of the peripheral flange 120 and themagnitude of the offset angle OA. In the pre-deflection position shownin FIG. 1A, OA is about 90 degrees, and the peripheral flange 120 andits peripheral edge 110 are present at the periphery of the article,regardless of the length of the peripheral flange 120. If OA wereincreased only slightly, the peripheral edge 110 would be deflectedinwardly (i.e., towards the shaped body 10), but would continue to belocated at the periphery of the article, when viewed from directly abovethe extension 50 (i.e., from the top edge of FIG. 1A). As OA increasesfurther, the peripheral edge 110 will eventually be deflectedsufficiently that it is no longer at the periphery. As the spacer 140and peripheral edge 110 are deflected, the distance d between theportion of the spacer 140 adjacent the peripheral flange 120 (in thisembodiment, this portion is the elbow 130) and the shaped body 10 willdecrease, at least until that portion contacts the shaped body 10 or OAexceeds 180 degrees (at which point d will increase upon furtherdeflection, at least until OA exceeds 360 degrees). As for theembodiment (depicted in FIG. 8Ai) lacking the peripheral flange 120, thefraction d/D can be selected to be, for example, zero, 1/10, ¼, ⅓, ½, ⅔,¾, or 9/10 (i.e., any value up to one and not less than zero).

Articles in which the deflectable flange is deflected to the extentsshown in FIGS. 8Ai and 8Hi will not have the potentially-sharp or -roughperipheral edge 110 located at their periphery. Therefore, if thearticles are viewed from directly above the extension (i.e., from thetop of the image in FIGS. 8Ai and 8Hi), the peripheral edge 110 will beobscured from view by the extension. This means that if a flexibleplastic film were applied tautly (i.e., stretched sufficiently toeliminate wrinkles in the film without deforming the film) across thetop of the extension 50 (i.e., the top of FIGS. 8Ai and 8Hi) andstraight down the side of the extension 50 bearing the spacer 140 (i.e.,vertically down the right side in FIGS. 8Ai and 8Hi), the film will notcontact the peripheral edge 110. The peripheral edge 110 is thereforeunable to damage the film absent such contact. Thus, this degree andextent of deflection of the spacer 140 (i.e., OA greater than 90degrees, distance d sufficient to accommodate the entire peripheralflange 120, if present, within the periphery, and the combination of OAand d being selected to be sufficient to position the peripheral edge110 within the periphery of the article, regardless of whether thearticle bears a peripheral flange 120.

Reference to the potentially-sharp or -rough peripheral edge 110 beinglocated at the “periphery” of the article (or within the periphery)should be understood in the context in which shaped articles of thistype are commonly used. As set forth herein, the articles are typicallyused as containers (e.g., for foodstuffs) and their shaped body 10typically includes a flat portion intended as a “bottom” or “base” uponwhich the container will normally rest during filling, sealing,shipping, display, opening or other uses, as can be seen, for example,in FIGS. 6D and 9F. The containers have an interior portion orcompartment, usually concave in shape, intended for containing orsupporting articles to be carried in the container, and this interiorportion typically includes the bottom/base (the articles to be carriedresting upon the upper face of the bottom/base when the lower face ofthe bottom/base rests on a horizontal surface). Such containers normallyhave a “rim” (e.g., corresponding to the extension 50 of the deflectableflange described herein) that surrounds the interior portion. The rimoften extends parallel to the bottom/base, the extension being planar,so that a flexible plastic film that is tautly urged against the rim canbe maintained in a taut state, substantially without wrinkles, dimples,or other deformations. The plane of the rim is typically essentiallyparallel to the plane of the bottom/base, so that a film can be appliedand/or sealed to the rim while contents rest within the container and sothat container walls can resist pressure urging film against the rim inthe direction of the container bottom (which pressure tends tofacilitate the film to lie flush against the rim surface). Where thefilm is sealed to the rim (e.g., using heat fusion or adhesion), the rimoften has a width at its planar extent (see, e.g., the surface labeled Din FIGS. 8Ai and 8Hi and the rim surface visible in FIG. 6A), so thatmachinery and reagents associated with sealing the film to the rim canbe conveniently applied to the rim, for example to urge the film and therim against one another. Reference to the “periphery” of such containersmeans the outer extent of the container, when the container is viewedfrom directly above or below the planar extent of the rim, as shown, forexample in FIG. 6D (i.e., when viewed at an angle essentiallyperpendicular to the plane of the rim and the bottom of the container,assuming the planes of the rim and the bottom are parallel to oneanother).

Although containers having rims shaped and deflected to the positionsshown in FIGS. 8A and 8H are suitable for sealing with plastic filmsdrawn against and downwardly (i.e., in the direction of the bottom/base)from their planar rims, such containers can have certain drawbacks. Ineach of these embodiments, the potentially-sharp or -rough peripheraledge 110 is located beneath the rim of the tray, and is capable ofcontacting objects (e.g., human fingers or portions of film-sealedarticles which are moved into the area beneath the rim) and damagingthem. Further deflection of the deflectable flange, curling of thespacer 140 (either at its peripheral edge 110 or at a portion adjacentthe peripheral flange 120, if present), or both, can mitigate thisdrawback.

FIGS. 8B and 8Bi illustrate an article having a spacer 140 that lacks aperipheral flange, and that both has been deflected furtheranti-peripherally (relative to the spacer shown in FIG. 8A) and has beencurled at its peripheral edge 110 and adjacent portions of the spacer140. FIGS. 8J and 8Ji illustrate a similar article in which the spacer140 bears a peripheral flange 120. Displacing the peripheral edge 110further from the periphery of the container reduces the likelihood thata film drawn vertically downward from the rim of the container willcontact the peripheral edge 110. Curling of the spacer 140 at itsperipheral end makes it even more unlikely that such a film will contactthe peripheral edge 110. The extent of curling can be described withreference to the offset angle OA, here measured locally at the portionof the spacer 140 nearest the peripheral flange 120 (as in FIG. 8J) orat the peripheral edge 110 if no peripheral flange is present (as inFIG. 8B). OA represents the angle through which the peripheral end ofthe spacer 140 has been turned, relative to the plane of the rim(represented in this embodiment by the plane of the extension 50). Ifthe peripheral end of the spacer 140 nearest the peripheral edge 110retains a planar conformation, that plane should be used to assess OA;if the peripheral end of the spacer 140 is curved, then a plane tangentto the curve at its peripheral end should be used to assess OA. In eachof FIGS. 8B and 8J, OA is about 230 degrees.

Containers having rims shaped and deflected to the positions shown inFIGS. 8B and 8J “hide” the potentially-sharp or -rough peripheral edge110 to a greater extent than the containers shown in FIGS. 8A and 8H.The containers of FIGS. 8B and 8J present, for example, less of a hazardto objects positioned directly beneath the rim, because the peripheraledge 110 does not directly “point” in that direction. Instead, theperipheral edge 110 is curled up and away from that direction in thecontainer of FIG. 8B. Although the peripheral edge 110 remainsaccessible from below the rim in the container of FIG. 8J, owing to thepresence of the peripheral flange 120, the curvature of the peripheralend of the spacer 140 nonetheless inhibits contact with the peripheraledge 110 from below. Furthermore, the remaining space (i.e., analogousto D-d in FIG. 8Ai) between the shaped body 10 and the peripheral end ofthe spacer 140 enable items (e.g., human fingers, portions of othercontainers, pieces of machinery, or plastic films) to enter between theshaped body 10 and the peripheral end of the spacer 140 and thereincontact the potentially-sharp or -rough peripheral edge 110. Stillfurther curvature of the peripheral end of the spacer 140 and/or furtherdisplacement of the peripheral end of the spacer 140 toward the shapedbody 10 can reduce these hazards ever further.

Containers having rims shaped and deflected to the positions shown in 8Cand 8K have a bi-lobed shape (i.e., two arcuate portions of potentiallydifferent shape, potentially separated by a flat region, as in these twofigures) that “hides” the potentially-sharp or -rough peripheral edge110 to a greater extent than the containers shown in FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8H,and 8J. In these bi-lobed containers, at least a portion of the spacer140 is closely opposed against the shaped body 10, limiting access tothe peripheral end of the spacer 140 and to the potentially-sharp or-rough peripheral edge 110 by objects not already present within thecurled portion of the peripheral flange. In each of FIGS. 8C and 8K, OA(assessed as described above) is about 290 degrees. This value is not alimit, however, and OA could be increased even further, such as to 360degrees (in which position the peripheral end of the spacer would end uppointing directly towards the periphery of the container, but would becontained within the curled portion of the peripheral flange), or evento multiples of 360 degrees (e.g., 720 degrees, 1080 degrees, or more,as well as intermediate values, like 400 or 800 degrees) to form aspiral structure. While such a spirally-curled structure would notnecessarily reduce the hazard associated with contact by the peripheraledge 110, the spiral structure can enhance the strength and rigidity ofthe rim.

The extent of deflection and degree of edge-curling can be routinelyselected by a skilled artisan in this field to reduce the likelihood ofcontact between the peripheral edge 110 and a plastic film used to wrapor seal the article in any wrapping or sealing operation in which therelative positions of the film and the article are known. Similarly, askilled artisan can select values of deflection and degree of edgecurling suitable for reducing the risk of damage to fingers, othertissues, or other materials arising from contact with the peripheral endof the spacer, based on the geometry of the article being made.

A skilled artisan will likewise appreciate that the extent of peripheraledge deflection and the degree of edge curling that are desirable in agiven circumstance will vary. For example, in situations in whichgeometric relationship between the peripheral edge 110 and a sealingfilm are highly predictable and the areas of potential contact betweenthe two are confined to a narrow region of space, a skilled artisan willappreciate that the deflectable flange needs to be deflected only so faras is necessary to move it out of that region of space, even though theperipheral edge 110 might otherwise remain relatively accessible. Bycontrasting example, when the geometric relationships between theperipheral edge 110 and plastic films or animal tissues which maycontact that edge are relatively unknown, a skilled artisan willappreciate that substantial curling of the edge and displacement of thespacer 140 and/or the peripheral edge 110 may be desirable to reduce thelikelihood of the relatively unpredictable types of contacts which mightoccur. These design decisions will be made by a skilled artisan in lightof other relevant considerations, such as the need or desire to maintaina particular extent of separation between the shaped body 10 and thenearest approach of the curled- and/or deflected-spacer 140 (e.g., topermit the article to be acted upon by machinery designed to contact theunderside of the rim or extension 50, such as to effect sealing of afilm to the opposite face of the rim/extension). In view of thedisclosure provided herein, a skilled artisan is able to make articleshaving the deflectable flange described herein and to deflect them inways which will reduce the hazard of peripheral edge contact with tissueor film.

Regarding the extent of separation between the deflected spacer 140 andthe shaped body 10 of the article, the deflectable flange can bedeflected or curled to the extent that a portion thereof contacts theshaped body 10. The portion of the deflectable flange that touches theshaped body 10 can be the peripheral edge 110, all or a portion of theperipheral flange 120, or a portion of the spacer 140, such as itsperipheral end or a portion intermediate between its peripheral end andthe bend region 150. Alternatively, the deflectable flange can bedeflected and/or curled so as to leave a space (e.g., the spacedesignated d in FIG. 8Ai) between the shaped body 10 and the nearestdeflected/curled portion of the deflectable flange, such as a spaceselected to permit installation of the finished article in a frame whichfits between the deflected flange 160 and the shaped body 10 of thearticle. Substantially any desired extent of separation can be selectedby a skilled artisan by selecting an appropriate shape for the upperbody 200, the upper face 302 of the ram 300, or both, a correspondingdegree to which the deflectable flange is impinged against the ram, andcorresponding cooling times and mechanisms, for example.

Regarding the degree of curling of the spacer 140, this parameter islikewise selectable by a skilled artisan in view of the teachingsherein. Softened portions of the deflectable flange (including theperipheral flange 120, the spacer 140, and the bend region 150) can beimpinged against the upper body 200, the upper face 302 of the ram 300,or both, to induce curling. The degree of curling is controllablethrough control of the shape of these items, the duration and extent ofimpingement, cooling times and mechanisms, and other parameters apparentto a skilled artisan in view of the teachings herein.

Depending on the specific geometry of the article and the spatialrelationships between the article and tissues, films, and otherdamage-able objects which may contact the peripheral edge 110 of thearticle, the desirable degree of curling at the peripheral end of thespacer 140 will be apparent to a skilled artisan. For example, for acontainer of the type depicted in FIGS. 1 and 8 that is to be used in asituation in which damage-able objects may contact the article at theperiphery of the article (i.e., from the right-hand side of FIGS. 1 and8), a skilled artisan will recognize that it is desirable to deflect theperipheral edge 110 inwardly from the periphery in the direction of theshaped body 10 to avoid contact at the periphery, for example as shownin FIG. 8A. If the same container is to be used in a situation in whichdamage-able objects may contact the article from beneath the underside161 of the deflectable flange, then a skilled artisan will furtherappreciate that the peripheral end of the spacer 140 should also becurled in the direction toward that underside, for example as shown inFIGS. 8B and 8C. In such situations, curling the spacer sufficiently todirect the peripheral end away from contact occurring from directlybeneath the underside can be achieved by curling/deflecting theperipheral end of the spacer 140 to an offset angle OA of at least about135 degrees, more preferably at least about 150 or 160 degrees, anddeflection beyond about 180 degrees will have little further protectiveeffect. Likewise, contact originating from the periphery and beneath thedeflectable flange (e.g., from machinery, film, or animal tissue“picking up” the article by impinging upon its rim from beneath) caninduce a skilled artisan to select an offset angle of more than 90degrees (e.g., >90 degrees-180 degrees or more, such any of 100, 110,120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170 degrees or any intermediate angle). If themachinery, film, or tissue is anticipated to fit between thedeflected/curled spacer 140 and article body 10 then an offset anglegreater than 180 degrees (e.g., 190, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260,or 270 degrees, any intermediate value, or even larger values) can bedesirable, to prevent contact with the peripheral edge 110 when themachinery, film, or tissue is positioned therebetween.

By way of a first example, in sealing operations in which the articlebears an extension that forms a substantially planar ring about aninterior compartment and the article is sealed by contacted a sealingfilm against the extension surface, drawing the film tautly around theperiphery of the ring and not more than about 90 degrees “downwardly”(i.e., in the direction of the article) around the edge of the rim onall sides, and thereafter sealing the film to the article, it issufficient that the potentially-sharp or -rough peripheral edge 110 ofthe deflectable flange 160 be deflected to a position within theperiphery of the article, when viewed from the direction 90 degrees“above” the article. Thus, the article depicted in FIG. 1A would not besuitable, because the peripheral edge 110 is not within the periphery.Similarly, an article deflected to the position shown in FIG. 1B wouldalso not be suitable for this sealing method, because the peripheraledge 110 is present at the periphery. Articles having peripheral flangesdeflected to the position shown in any of FIGS. 1C, 4, 5A, 5B, 5C, and7C would be suitable for this sealing method, because in each instancethe potentially-sharp or -rough peripheral edge 110 is within theperiphery of the article.

By way of a second example, in a sealing operation in which a containerhaving an item positioned on or within a concave portion of the shapedbody of the container and further having a rim formed by at least theextension 50 of a deflectable flange as described herein is completelywrapped in a plastic film (e.g., as cuts of meat and certain produceitems are currently wrapped upon trays or bins in supermarkets), it issufficient if the film extending between the various edges and surfacesof the container (and the item, if the item extends from the interior ofthe concave portion) does not contact the potentially-sharp or -roughperipheral edge 110 of the container. Even more preferably, theperipheral edge 110 is sufficiently sequestered (e.g., by closeopposition against the shaped body 10 or by being curled within thespacer 140) that it cannot readily contact any object external to thecontainer. These ends can be achieved by deflection and/or curling ofthe spacer 140 as described herein.

In the methods illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 8, impingement of the upperbody 200, the ram 300, or both upon the deflectable flange 160 caninduce inward flexing of the walls of the shaped article. By way ofexample, the compression induced in the deflectable flange uponimpingement upon the flange of the sidewalls of the upper body (comparethe positions of spacer 140 in FIGS. 1A and 1B) will induce inward(i.e., away from the sidewalls of the upper body and toward the shapedbody 10 of the article 100) force on extension 50, which force will betransmitted to the shaped body, potentially causing a portion of thebody to buckle or deflect. Similarly, impingement of the ram upon theperipheral flange portion 120 of the deflectable flange will also induceinward force on the extension and thereby upon the shaped body. Furtherby way of example, inward force exerted upon deflectable flanges inembodiments shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 can also be transmitted to the shapedbody of the article. Transmission of force from the deflectable flangeto the shaped body can be undesirable for at least two reasons. First,deflection of the shaped body can alter the orientation of thedeflectable flange and the portions that are bent as described herein,making control of the final shape of the article (and its edge)difficult. Second, force that is transferred from the deflectable flangeto the body will generally not drive the deflectable flange against theram and/or upper body, meaning that the force will not cause the bendingand deflection of the deflectable flange described herein, at least tothe intended degree. It is therefore desirable to limit transmission offorce from the deflectable flange, deflection of the shaped body by suchforces, or both, so as to direct the force into deflection of thedeflectable flange.

Substantially any equipment or method for preventing or reducingtransmission of force from the deflectable flange to the body, reducingor preventing deflection of the shaped body, or both can be employed.Shown in FIG. 8D is an example of such equipment and how it is used.FIG. 8D illustrates shaping of the deflectable flange 160 in a shapedarticle 100 by application of downward force (open arrow), as shown inFIG. 8B. In contrast with FIG. 8B, the shaped article shown in FIG. 8Dis coupled with three objects, 401, 402, and 403. Shown here incross-section, each of the three objects is a solid having a roundedsquare profile (e.g., rounded metal bars). Object 401 is abutted againsta portion of the shaped article 100 upon which inward force (smaller,horizontal solid arrow) is applied when the downward force causes thedeflectable flange 160 to impinge upon the upper surface 302 of the ram300. Object 403 abuts the extension 50 of the deflectable flange andtransmits the downward force to the deflectable flange. Object 402connects (rigidly, in this example, but not necessarily) objects 401 and402. One or more of the three objects can be cooled, to prevent heat(e.g., from heated ram 300) from softening the plastic at its body orextension.

In FIG. 8D, when downward force (open arrow) is applied to the object403, the force is transmitted to the deflectable flange. Impingement ofthe deflectable flange upon the ram 300 opposes the downward force. Thisforce could, in the absence of object 401 be transmitted through thedeflectable flange (i.e., through extension 50) to the shaped body ofthe article 100. However, because object 401 is present and held inplace sufficiently to prevent deflection of the portion of the articleit abuts, downward force applied to the deflectable flange cannot bedissipated by deflection of the shaped body (i.e., in the directionindicated by the small horizontal black arrow in FIG. 8D, because object401 prevents such deflection), and the downward force is instead imposedalong the deflectable flange in the direction shown by the large blackarrow in FIG. 8D. This force drives the deflectable flange (particularlyits peripheral edge, the peripheral flange if present, and the portionof the spacer nearest the peripheral edge) against the ram 300 andinduces deflection of the deflectable flange, conformation of portionsof the deflectable flange against the upper surface 302 of the ram(especially when the amount of heat provided by the ram is sufficient tosoften those portions), and displacement of the deflectable flangeacross the surface of the ram. As shown in the figure, the contour ofthe upper surface of the ram is thereby imparted to the peripheral-mostportions of the deflectable flange, resulting in smooth bending of thoseportions (assuming a smooth contour to the upper face of the ram) anddisplacement of the peripheral edge of the deflectable flange toward thebody of the article (or even ‘curled’ back beyond the body, for exampleas shown in FIG. 8C).

The shape, size, arrangement, attachments (if any) of objects 401, 402,and 403 are not critical. Likewise, not all three objects neednecessarily be used together; one, two, or all three can be employed. Inone embodiment, the three objects are fixed together to form a “lid” or“plug” for a container like that shown in FIG. 6, so that the portion ofthe lid/plug that corresponds to object 401 can substantially fill theinterior of the container (i.e., pressing against all walls, andespecially including the four long, straight walls of the container),the portion of the lid/plug that corresponds to object 403 forms a ringthat can be applied against the entire rim of the container surroundingits interior, and the portion of the lid/plug that corresponds to object402 can be any material or mechanism that connect them. For example,such a lid/plug could be formed from a single piece of material (e.g., a‘plug’ that fills the entirety of the interior and overlaps the rimsurrounding the interior). One or more of the objects can be cooled toreduce heating of the shaped article (other than where desired, atportions of the deflectable flange) and to thereby prevent undesireddeformation of the shaped articles during processing.

Generalized, object 401 is simply a mass for preventing flexing of thesides of the shaped article during deflection of the deflectable flange.Such an object may fill substantially all portions of the interior ofthe shaped article (e.g., the entire interior of the container shown inFIG. 6D). Alternatively, one or more objects 401 may be used to buttressportions of the shaped article that are more easily deflected thanothers (e.g., the long straight sides of the container shown in FIG.6D).

Object 403 can be any object that can urge the deflectable flangeagainst the ram. Multiple objects can be used to urge the deflectableflange against one or more rams at various locations on the article, ora single object 403 that contacts the article at or near all portions ofthe deflectable flange can be used. In one embodiment, object 403 is theupper body 200 described herein, such as in the form that completelysurrounds the rim of a container such as that shown in FIG. 6D. Object403 can be a frame designed to fit snugly against the entire rim of acontainer surrounding an internal concave compartment of the chamber, soas to simultaneously urge a deflectable flange that completely surroundsthat rim against a ram in the manner described herein. In oneembodiment, object 403 can be deliberately cooled (e.g., by directing acooling fluid such as chilled water, chilled oil, or ambient air againstor through the object, particularly where the object is made of a goodconductor of heat, such as a metal) so as to reduce, inhibit, or preventheating of the body of the shaped article during processing (e.g., asshown in FIG. 8D). Object 403 can be linked, rigidly or movably, withobject 401 so that the flex-resisting object 401 can be applied to theinterior of a shaped article simultaneously with application of force tothe deflectable flange of the shaped article by object 403.

Object 402, when present, can be an object that connects object 403 to asource of force, an object that holds object 401 in place within aconcave portion of shaped article 100 during deflection of deflectableflange 160, or a combination of these.

As illustrated in FIGS. 9C and 9E, an additional advantage of therolled-over edge formed by this process is that the rolled edge can beused instead of conventional stacking lugs (i.e., thermoform-shapedportions of articles contoured to limit how closely an article can nestwithin another otherwise-identically shaped article). Such knownstacking lugs, in order to perform their desired anti-nesting function,must furthermore be narrower at their upper end than their lower end(referring to FIG. 9D as an example) in order to prevent nesting of thestacking lugs of adjacent trays. This ‘narrower-at-the-top’ conformationpresents known difficulties with de-molding the trays duringthermoforming, since the narrower ‘top’ portion of the lug must bestretched or deformed over the larger ‘bottom’ portion of the lug moldin order to remove the thermoformed tray from the mold. The rolled edgedepicted in FIGS. 8 and 9 (i.e., made as described herein) avoids thisdifficulty, while still preventing inappropriately close nesting ofadjacent trays. Trays having the rolled edge described herein can beseparated using conventional de-nesting equipment (e.g., screw- andfinger-based machines for separating adjacent nested/stacked trays) and,as shown in FIG. 9E, permit denser packing of trays than is possibleusing trays having formed stacking lugs.

FIG. 9F illustrates an optional embodiment of the rolled edge describedherein that also affects the stacking characteristics of shaped articleshaving the rolled edge. On the right side of FIG. 9F are shown threestacked trays having the rolled edge described herein, the rolled edgebeing substantially identical (including in height) about the entireperiphery of the tray. On the left side of FIG. 9F are shown three otherstacked trays, these trays also bearing a rolled over edge as describedherein about their entire periphery. However, in contrast to the trayson the right of the figure, the rolled edge of those on the left are notuniform about their entire periphery. As shown on the left side in thefigure (in which only one corner is visible), a smaller portion of thedeflectable flange has been rolled over at the corners of these traysthan the portion of the deflectable flange that is rolled over alongother portions of their edge. As a result, the trays on the left in FIG.9F bear rounded stacking extensions 180 at their corners. Like thatstacked trays shown on the right of FIG. 9F, those on the left of thefigure are nested within one another and settle until the lower surfaceof the rolled edge of a tray contacts and rests upon the upper surfaceof the rolled edge of a second tray within which it is nested. However,because the stacking extensions 180 of the trays on the left of thefigure have a greater height than much of the rest of the rolled edge ofthose trays, the trays on the left will nest such that the lower surfaceof a stacking extension 180 rests on the upper surface of the rollededge of a tray beneath it, leaving the lower surface of much of therolled edge of the upper tray out-of-contact with the tray beneath it,yielding a gap between the nested trays (compare the gap indicated bythe large brackets in the left of FIG. 9F with the indentation indicatedby the small brackets in the right of FIG. 9F). When a shaped article100 is given a rolled-over edge including a stacking extension 180 asdescribed herein, the degree to which and way in which the deflectableflange is deflected should nonetheless be selected to position theperipheral edge 110 in the vicinity of the stacking extension 180 insuch a way that it is unlikely to contact films or other materials atthe periphery of the article 100, as described herein.

Yet another advantage of the ‘rolled edge’ depicted in FIGS. 8 and 9 isthe mechanical strength imparted to a shaped article by such an edgeconformation. Thin plastic films tend to be highly flexible, andarticles formed from such films can have ‘flimsy’ edges that are easilydeformed upon handling or manipulation (e.g., during sealing or wrappingwith film). For the same reasons that hollow tubes or rounds of materialtend to be stronger and more rigid than planar sheets of material of thesame type and thickness, the curved or rolled edge described hereinconfer greater edge strength and rigidity to the shaped articlesdescribed herein than corresponding articles lacking such an edge. Thisedge strength and rigidity permits formation of lids upon, or engagementof separately-made lids with shaped articles described herein. Thus, inaddition to the shaped articles being sealable with film using OW, VSP,or MAP technologies, the enhanced edge strength of the shaped articlesdescribed herein permits them to be sealed with snap-on/snap-off typelids or other conventional sealing technologies. The edge strength andrigidity conferred to the shaped article also prevents deflectioninduced by tension in a film used to overwrap or seal the article (e.g.,so-called “bow-tying” as the phenomenon of a concave article closingupon its concavity when wrapped or sealed) and to withstand stressesimposed by (or necessary to the operation of) container-handlingequipment, such as de-nesting equipment used for segregating individualcontainers from a stack of nested containers.

What is important in these methods is that the potentially sharpperipheral edge 110 of the thermoplastic sheet(s) from which the article100 is formed should be deflected away from the periphery of the articleand ‘frozen’ in that position by heat-softening and cooling a portion ofthe sheet that is bent (which will normally include substantially onlyportions of the deflectable flange) while the sheet is so deflected. Theheated, bent, and cooled portion preferably includes at least the bendregion 150 of the deflectable flange 160, because that region isdesigned for smooth flexing and yields a smooth periphery to thecontainer. Softening, flexing, and hardening of other portions of thedeflectable flange (e.g., the extension 50, spacer 140, elbow 130,and/or peripheral flange 120) can also (or alternatively) be done, andcan contribute to smoothness of the article's periphery.

The Deflectable Flange 160

The deflectable flange includes a bend region 150, a peripheral edge110, and a spacer 140 interposed between the two. The bend region formsan angle of less than 180 degrees between the body 10 and the spacer 140and functions as a flexible ‘hinge’ at which the spacer region can bedisplaced relative to the body. The angle formed by the bend region(i.e., the angle designated A in FIG. 1A) is preferably about ninetydegrees (i.e., approximately a right angle, meaning not less than 75 normore than 120 degrees, more preferably not less than 80 nor more than105 degrees, more preferably not less than 85 nor more than 100 degrees,still more preferably not less than 87 nor more than 93 degrees, andmost preferably about 92 degrees). When this angle is less than 90degrees, it can be difficult to remove the thermoformed article from thethermoforming mold (i.e., because the portion of the mold nearest theextension between the spacer and the body can be broader than the widthbetween the body and the spacer nearer to the peripheral edge, meaningthat the thermoformed article will ‘grip’ the mold and must be pulled orexpanded to displace it from the mold). Thus, it is preferable that theangle formed by the bend region is 90 degrees or greater (e.g., 91, 92,93, 94, or 95 degrees) to ease separation of the thermoformed articleand the mold, but the angle can be smaller if the body of the articlerecedes away from the periphery, for example. Less preferably, an angleof 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, or 135 degrees can be employed, but sucharticles may require application of both an upper body 200 to reduce theangle near to 90 degrees prior to impacting the deflectable flangeagainst the ram 300. As this angle increases, the amount ofthermoplastic that is present at exterior corners (e.g., the fourcorners of the tray shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B) of the thermoformedprecursor article increases and can interfere with bending (i.e.,“rolling-over”). This thermoplastic material can be accommodated, forexample, by permitting the spacer to ‘bow out’ above the ram (or into aspace built into the upper surface of the ram) at sections where thematerial occurs.

Upon sufficient displacement of the spacer, the bend region typicallyforms the periphery of the article (i.e., when the spacer is bent“under” the connected portion of the body, regardless of orientationrelative to gravity). Thus, the bend region will normally form thesmooth periphery of the article that is desired in one embodiment. Thespacer nonetheless forms a part of the periphery of the article in thisembodiment (normally the “underside” of the periphery, relative to thearticle 100, with the underside 161 of the deflectable flange 160 beingcontained within the curvature of the rolled-over edge). For thisreason, portions of the spacer (potentially including the elbow 130 andthe peripheral flange 120) that are reasonably accessible to a film orother material pressed against the exterior of the article (e.g.,against the underside of its periphery) should preferably be smooth aswell.

In formation of the shaped articles with a smooth periphery describedherein, deflection of the spacer (and/or other portions) of thedeflectable flange induces bending within the bend region, within thespacer, or both. The angular shape of the bend region both controls thelocation of that bending and the smoothness of the resulting edge. Asillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 8, it can be beneficial if the angularportion of the bend region is not formed as a sharp (i.e., bi-linear)angle, but is instead formed as flat portions (e.g., an extension 50 anda spacer 140) arranged at an angle to one another, with a curved portion(e.g., defined by a radius of curvature, such as a radius of 1, 2, or 3or more millimeters) connecting the flat portions. Flexing of a curvedangular portion will tend to yield a smoother, less film-damaging edgethat flexing of a sharply angled portion. As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 4,5, 7, and 8, the boundary between the bend region 150 and the spacer 140may be substantially indistinguishable in practice, and flexion of thespacer 140, at least at its extent nearest the bend region 150 isexpected in the embodiments shown. As illustrated in FIG. 8 especially,bending of multiple portions, including the peripheral-most portion(s),of the spacer 140 can desirably impart a smooth periphery to thearticles prepared as described herein.

As illustrated, for example in FIGS. 6E (trays #2 and 3) and 8C, it canbe beneficial that articles having the deflectable flange 160, shapedand curled as described herein, be composed of a pair of curved regionswith a relatively flat portion interposed between them. One of thecurved regions is the bend region 150 and the other is a curled (i.e.,rolled-over) portion of the spacer 140, with a flat (non-curled) portionof the spacer 140 interposed between them. Fragile plastic film can beclosely opposed (or sealed) against one or both curved regions andagainst the flat portion. If the two curved regions directly abuttedeach other, a plurality of such containers were placed adjacent oneanother (i.e., curved peripheries near or touching one another), and thecontainers were then jostled (such as during packaging, shipment, ordisplay), then the adjacent container edges would contact one another atrelatively small regions (i.e., where the curved surfaces met) and filmopposed against the container edges could be easily damaged at thoseregions. By contrast, when a relatively broad, flat area is present atcontainer edges, incidental contact among adjacent containers can bedistributed across a broader area, decreasing the likelihood of damageto film at such flat areas.

In one embodiment (shown in FIG. 1), the deflectable flange 160 includesat least three portions, including the bend region 150, a peripheralflange 120, and an elbow 130 positioned therebetween. The bend region150 is connected to the remainder of the article 100, optionally by wayof an extension 50. The peripheral flange 120 is connected to the bendregion 150 by way of the elbow 130, optionally with a spacer 140interposed between the bend region 150 and the elbow 130. A prototypicaldeflectable flange 160 having each of these portions is illustrated(attached to the body 10 of an article 100) in FIG. 1A.

In this embodiment, the bend region 150 is situated anti-peripherally(nearer the body 10) than at least the peripheral-most portion of theperipheral flange 120. The function of the bend region 150 is to deflectwhen the peripheral flange 120 is deflected inwardly (i.e.,anti-peripherally, such as by pressing the periphery of the articleagainst a solid object). Deflection of the bend region provides a smoothsurface because the peripheral edge 110 of the thermoplastic sheet isnot located within the bend region; it is located on the peripheralflange 120. The angle formed by the bend region (for example,approximately 90 degrees over the bend region 150 shown in FIG. 1A) isnot critical and can be selected for ease of manufacture. It can, forexample, be an obtuse angle, a right angle, or even an acute angle. Whenthis angle is an acute angle, it can be difficult to remove thethermoformed (pre-roll-over) article from its thermoforming mold(because the peripheral portion of the spacer must be deflected toremove the article from the mold), and acute angles are disfavored forthat reason (even though such articles can still be made). The radius ofcurvature of the bend region 150 is also not critical, although it ispreferably substantially greater than the radius of curvature of theelbow 130.

The bend region 150 preferably has the conformation of a smooth curve,as shown in FIG. 1A, with a substantial radius of curvature (e.g., 0.5millimeters to several millimeters or more, such as ⅛ inch or ¼ inch),so that inward deflection of the deflectable flange 160 yields a smoothperiphery to the article. However, it is critical that the bend region150 simply not be sharp or pointed; a non-sharp crease can suffice, forexample. That is, the bend region, coupled with deflection and/orcurling of the spacer 140 confers an arcuate (e.g., partially or fullycircular, oval, or bi-lobed) profile to the peripheral edge of thearticle, rendering it devoid of sharp edges. Fragile materials, such asthin plastic films or animal skin, which contact that smooth peripheryare much less likely to be damaged than when the same fragile materialscontact the peripheral edge 110 of the thermoplastic sheet.

The proximal extent of the bend region 150 (i.e., the part of the bendregion nearest the body and the compartment) can be connected with theremainder of the article 100 by way of an extension 50. The distalextent of the extension 50 can be discretely discernible from theproximal extent of the bend region 150 (e.g., a flat region distinctfrom a curved bend region 150) or the two extents can be substantiallyindistinguishable (e.g., the distal portion of the extension can be aslightly curved region not readily distinguished from the curvature ofthe bend region 150). The dimensions of the extension region are notcritical; it can range from non-existent (i.e., the bend region 150commences at the edge of a body 10 of the article 100), to a fraction ofa millimeter, to several millimeters or longer. One function of theextension 50 is to separate the bend region 150 (at whichsheet-softening heat is applied in some embodiments) from other portionsof the article 100 at which potential heat-induced deformation isundesirable. Another function of the extension 50 can be to provide afunctional surface to the article 100, such as a surface adjacent thebend region 150 at which a thin plastic film (which can be pressedagainst the bend region 150 with little danger of damage to the film)can be adhered to or fused with the article 100 (e.g., to cover a cavityformed in the article that is bordered by the deflectable flange 160 ofwhich the extension 50 is part). The extension 50 can also serve astructural function, such as providing support or rigidity to a sectionof the article (e.g., by forming a relatively rigid “rim” about a cavityin a container to inhibit flexing of the container while lidding isapplied). Yet another function of the extension 50 can be to provide aspace which the deflectable flange 160 can occupy when it is deflectedanti-peripherally. Because the extension 50 and the peripheral flange120 are situated on opposite sides of the bend region 150, sufficientflexing of the bend region 150 (e.g., upon insertion of the article 100within the upper body 200 and insertion of the ram 300 behind thearticle), the spacer 140, or both, can cause the peripheral flange 120(and the spacer 140) to approach, or even contact, the extension 50, orto curl or deflect beneath the extension 50 between the periphery of thearticle and a sidewall of the body of the article (see, e.g., FIG. 6E).

In FIG. 1A, the peripheral flange 120 includes the (potentially sharp)peripheral edge 110 of the thermoplastic sheet(s) from which the articleis formed. It extends peripherally beyond the bend region 150, so thatit will impinge upon the inner surface 202 of the upper body 200 whenthe article is inserted into the cavity of the upper body 200, as shownin FIG. 1B. It extends from the elbow 130 to that peripheral edge 110and extends in a direction from the bend region 150 or the spacer 140,if present, by an angle (angle F) defined by the elbow 130. The functionof the peripheral flange 120 is to engage with (i.e., impinge upon or beimpinged upon by) the inner surface 202 of the upper body 200 when thearticle is inserted into the cavity of the upper body 200, therebycausing the deflectable flange 160 to deflect inwardly(anti-peripherally). In addition to displacing the peripheral edge 110of the sheet anti-peripherally and causing flexing or bending of thedeflectable flange 160 in the bend region 150 thereof, this deflectionalso positions the peripheral flange 120 to be further anti-peripherallydeflected when the ram 300 is inserted into the cavity behind thearticle 100. When the ram 300 is so inserted, it impinges upon theperipheral flange 120 and, upon further advancement of the ram into thecavity, causes both additional flexing or bending of the deflectableflange 160 in the bend region 150 thereof, and additionalanti-peripheral deflection of the peripheral edge 110.

The length (elbow-to-peripheral-edge) of the peripheral flange 120 isnot critical, but should be selected to facilitate engagement of the ram300 by the peripheral flange 120 and displacement of the peripheralflange 120 by the ram 300 as the ram advances within the interior of theupper body 200. Frequently, the length of the peripheral flange 120 isinfluenced, at least in part, by the ability to cut articles from amaterial in which the article is formed. The elbow 130 can function, inpart, to position the thermoplastic sheet at a location at which it canbe conveniently cut to free the shaped article from a precursor sheet.Because the peripheral edge 110 formed by such cutting is a source ofsharpness or roughness at the periphery of the article prior to ‘rollingover’ the deflectable flange 160, it can be beneficial to cut the sheetas near to the elbow 130 as possible (i.e., to make peripheral flange120 as small as possible) so as to reduce the bulk of thermoplasticmaterial that must be displaced in order to displace the sharp or roughperipheral edge 110 from the periphery of the article. As illustrated,for example, in FIG. 8H, a larger peripheral flange also reduces contact(and increases spacing) between the upper surface of a ram whichimpinges the deflectable flange, and therefore reduces heat transferfrom the ram to peripheral portions of the deflectable flange. Becausethe methods described herein depend upon heating those portions abovetheir GTT, deflecting them to a desired conformation, and then coolingthe portions below that temperature, larger peripheral flanges increasethe heat input and/or time required for such processing and aredisfavored for that reason as well.

The elbow 130 is interposed between the bend region 150 and theperipheral flange 120, and its function is to connect and transferforces between them. That is, compressive forces applied to theperipheral flange 120 by impingement thereupon by the upper body 200 orthe ram 300 are translated through the elbow 130 (and the spacer 140, ifpresent) to torsional force applied to the bend region 150. Thistranslation of compressive force to torsional force ensures that thebend region 150, the spacer 140, or both flex when force is applied tothe peripheral flange 120. Thus, application of force to the peripheralflange 120 by the upper body 200 and/or ram 300 both deflects theperipheral edge 110 anti-peripherally (i.e., displacing the potentiallysharp edge away from the periphery of the article) and induces bendingof the bend region 150, the spacer 140, or both (i.e., yielding a smoothperiphery formed by flexed thermoplastic sheet at the periphery of thearticle), yielding an article which has a smooth periphery, even if thearticle was formed by a process that yields a sharp peripheral edge atan intermediate step. In effect, the elbow causes forces applied to theperipheral flange 120 to induce the deflectable flange 160 to “rollover” the periphery of the article, effectively “hiding” the sharp edgeof the thermoplastic sheet from materials at the periphery of thearticle.

A spacer 140 can be interposed between the bend region 150 and the elbow130. The spacer 140 can be discretely discernible from the bend region150 (e.g., a flat region distinct from a curved bend region 150) orsubstantially indistinguishable (e.g., a slightly curved region notreadily distinguished from the curvature of the bend region 150). Thedimensions of the extension region are not critical; it can range fromnon-existent (i.e., the bend region 150 commences at the elbow 130), toa fraction of a millimeter, to a few millimeters or longer. One functionof the spacer 140, if present, is to act as a ‘lever’ by which forceapplied at the elbow 130 (e.g., by impingement between the peripheralflange 120 and one or both of the upper body 200 and the ram 300) istransmitted to the bend region 150. Another function of the spacer 140,if present, can be to position the peripheral flange 120 suitably toengage one or both of the upper body 200 and the ram 300. Yet anotherfunction of the spacer 140, if present, is to increase the distance bywhich the potentially sharp peripheral edge 110 of the thermoplasticsheet can be displaced anti-peripherally from the periphery of thearticle upon flexing of the bend region 150. All else being equal, thelonger the spacer 140 is, the farther from the article's periphery thatpotentially sharp edge will be when the article is made as describedherein. A deflectable flange including the spacer 140, but lacking theelbow 130 and peripheral flange 120 can be used, as shown for example inFIGS. 8A-8D.

A longer spacer 140 facilitates formation of one or more portions of the“rolled edge” that is taller than other “rolled” portions of the edge,yielding a structure useful as a stacking lug (e.g., to facilitateselectable spacing between the rolled edges of adjacent nested, stackedarticles). In one embodiment, the size of the spacer and the compressiveforce applied to the spacer (i.e., the force transmitted to the spacerfrom the extension region, balanced by resistive force applied to thespacer on account of its impingement upon the ram) can cause the spacerto flex outwardly (i.e., peripherally away from the body of thearticle), forming a smooth bulge that, upon cooling, forms the outerperiphery of the article, or at least the peripheral-most extent of therim of the article. The peripheral-most extent of the rim is the portionof the rim (i.e., the extension 50, the bend region 150, the spacer 140,the elbow 130, or the peripheral flange 120) which extends the furthestaway from the concave compartment, as measured in a plane parallel tothe plane of the rim (i.e., the plane of a flexible film stretchedtautly across the rim to close the compartment).

Regardless of whether the bend region 150, the spacer 140, or both arebent in the operations described herein, and further regardless ofwhether material that was originally part of the bend region 150, thespacer 140, or both ultimately form the outer periphery of the articlesdescribed herein, what is important is that that outer periphery be free(or, less favorably, substantially free) of sharp, pointed, rough, orabrasive edges that might damage thin plastic films, human tissues, orother fragile materials which might contact that outer periphery.

Thermoplastics

The methods and articles described herein can be performed and made withsubstantially any thermoplastic material. What is important is that thematerial be capable of being softened by heating and re-stiffened uponcooling, at least in the deflectable flange 160 described herein.Substantially all thermoplastics exhibit a characteristic temperatureabove which they soften and become flexible or workable and below whichthey become more rigid and retain their shape. Desirable thermoplasticsfor the articles and methods described herein retain their shape undernormal conditions of the anticipated end use of the container. It isalso desirable to use thermoplastics which can be softened underconditions that are readily attainable in manufacturing environments.Examples of suitable thermoplastics include polyethylene (PE),polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyvinylchloride (PVC). Other suitable thermoplastics are apparent to skilledworkers in this field, and substantially any of these can be used.

The thermoplastic article includes a thermoplastic material, includingat least the portions of the article at which the deflectable flange 160described herein is formed or present. The identity of the thermoplasticmaterial is not critical, nor is the presence or absence ofnon-thermoplastic materials. Where non-thermoplastic materials arepresent (e.g., in a thermoplastic sheet to which a metal foil or apaperboard layer is laminated), the rigidity imparted to the article bythe thermoplastic material in its non-softened, non-molten state ispreferably sufficient to define the conformation of the article, evenwhen the non-thermoplastic material is bent. The article can include oneor more peelable layers, for example as described in co-pending U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/415,781. When one or more peelable layersis present, it is substantially unimportant whether those layers are“rolled over” at the peripheral edge of the shaped article (rather thanthe edges of the peelable layers peeling from the underlying substrate).Both for aesthetic reasons and to promote sealing, it can be preferablethat any peelable layers remain adhered. When peelable layers arepresent and adherence is to be promoted, the working temperature shouldbe selected both to be suitable for deflection of the deflectable flangeas described herein and for working the substrate and peelable layers ofthe shaped article without causing delamination of the peelable layers.

The Upper Body 200

The upper body 200 performs a number of functions. Overall, its functionis to contain the deflectable flange 160 described herein within acavity in the upper body 200 while heat is applied to one or moreportions of the bend region 150 thereof. This containment function canprevent non-desired deformation (or guide desired deformation) of thedeflectable flange 160 or portions of it during the periphery-smoothingoperations described herein. The shape of the interior cavity of theupper body 200 can also affect the shape of the deflectable flange as itbends, particularly as it is softened. By way of example, in FIG. 1B,the upper body 200 includes a cavity with an internal right angle intowhich a portion of the bend region 150 is forced; the right-angle shapeof this portion of the cavity will tend to cause the bend region 150 toconform to a right-angle shape, especially as the bend region 150softens. The heat source can be a part of the upper body 200, applied tothe upper body 200 for conduction of heat therethrough, for example. Theupper body 200 also impinges upon and is impinged upon the peripheralflange 120 of the deflectable flange 160 when it is inserted into thatcavity. When a ram 300 is used, the upper body 200 also serves toprevent the deflectable flange 160 from being forced out of the cavity,and it can also limit deflection of the bend region 150 when thedeflectable flange 160 is being compressed by the ram 300.

The materials from which the upper body is constructed are not critical,other than that they should be suitable to withstand the manufacturingconditions described herein. That is, they should not melt or degrade atthe temperatures used in the processing. A wide variety of metal,ceramic, stone, and polymeric materials can be used.

It is important that the shape of the upper body 200 be selected so thatimpingement between the interior of the cavity in the upper body 200 andthe peripheral flange 120 will occur when the article 100 describedherein is inserted into the cavity in the upper body. The upper body canhave a shape sufficient to simultaneously impinge multiple peripheralflanges 120 on an article, or to impinge upon most or all of a singleperipheral flange 120 that occurs upon an article (e.g., one whichoccurs about the entire peripheral edge of an article). As illustratedin FIG. 2, the upper body 200 can be formed of a solid block of materialthat covers an entire face of an article while impinging peripheralflange(s) 120 that occur on one or more portions of the article. Theupper body 200 depicted in FIG. 2, for example, is designed to impingeupon the single peripheral flange 120 that extends completely around theperiphery of an article having the shape of a rectangular tray-typecontainer having rounded corners.

The bend region 150 of the articles described herein will typically bewithin the cavity of the upper body 200 when heat is applied to thatbend region 150. For that reason, the upper body should be constructedin a way that facilitates application of such heat. The upper body 200can, for example, include a heat source (e.g., electrically operatedheating plates or rods) within it, applied to it, or fluidly connectedwith it. Alternatively, the upper body 200 can include one or more portsthrough which a heated fluid (e.g., a heated gas or liquid) can passfrom a source into the interior of the cavity therein. The methodselected to deliver heat to the bend region 150 (and/or other portionsof the peripheral flange, such as the spacer 140, the elbow 130, and theperipheral flange 120) is not critical, and any of a variety ofwell-known heat delivery methods and equipment can be used. If the upperbody 200 is able to conduct heat and is cooled, then heat that ispresent in the deflectable flange 160 during its shaping can flow to theupper body 200, and this heat flow can serve to cool and thereby stiffenthe deflectable flange 160 in its deflected position upon itscompression between the upper body 200 and the ram 300, for example.

As shown, for example in FIGS. 5 and 8, the deflectable flange can bedeflected using a ram 300 alone, with or without use of an upper body200. The upper body can be used both to partially deflect thedeflectable flange and to apply force to the article so as to impingethe deflectable flange thereof against the ram. When the upper body 200is not used, some alternate means of applying force to the article tocause impingement between the ram and the deflectable flange must beused. In FIG. 8D, for example, this alternate means is depicted simplyas object 403 (optionally coordinated with object 402). The orientationof the parts relative to gravity is not important, the “downward” force(open arrow in FIG. 8D) need only be directed so as to urge thedeflectable flange 160 against the ram 300 to cause impingement betweenthe two. It is also immaterial to which of the article and the ram (orboth) force is applied in order to cause such impingement. What isimportant is that impingement of the deflectable flange 160 against theram 300 (and/o the upper body 200, if used) induces deflection of theperipheral edge 110 of the deflectable flange to a position where it isnot readily accessible at the periphery of the article. Thus, in oneembodiment, the upper body 200 can be a simple flat plate which can beapplied against a flat portion (e.g., the extension 50 of thedeflectable flange 160 depicted in FIG. 8D) of the article to drive thedeflectable flange in the direction of, and ultimately against, the ram.

The Ram 300

The primary function of the ram 300 is to induce deflection in thedeflectable flange. The ram can be used with or without a correspondingupper body 200, but such an upper body can serve to contain and controlthe article as it is contacted with the ram. The method and mechanism(s)used to impart relative motion between the article and the ram are notcritical. When an upper body is employed, the ram is used to impingeupon and apply compressive force to the peripheral flange 120 of thedeflectable flange 160 when the article is disposed in the upper body200. This compressive force tends to drive the peripheral flange 120upwardly toward the bend region 150 and the extension 50, if present,and anti-peripherally, thereby moving the potentially sharp peripheraledge 110 of the thermoplastic sheet away from the periphery of thearticle so formed. Accordingly, the design of the ram 300 is notparticularly critical, so long as such compressive force is applied. Asillustrated in FIGS. 1C and 4, a ram 300 having an angled upper face 302will tend to direct the peripheral flange 120 in the direction alongthat angle as it compresses the peripheral flange 120. Thus, it can bebeneficial to shape the upper face 302 of the ram 300 in a conformationthat deflects or “pushes” the peripheral flange 120 and/or theperipheral edge 110 anti-peripherally as compression occurs.

Like the upper body 200, the materials from which the ram 300 is madeare not critical. Metals, ceramics, stones, and polymeric materialscapable of withstanding the temperatures and pressures of operation aresuitable and readily selectable by a skilled artisan. If the ram 300 isable to conduct heat and is cooled, then heat that is present in thedeflectable flange 160 during its shaping can flow to the ram 300, andthis heat flow can serve to cool and thereby stiffen the deflectableflange 160 in its deflected position upon its compression between theupper body 200 and the ram 300, for example. Heat can likewise beprovided by the ram 300 to one or more portions of the deflectableflange in conventional ways, such as by using a heated ram orincorporating a heating element into or onto the ram, and the deflectedflange can be cooled by discontinuing contact between it and the heatedram 300.

In an embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, a single ram 300 can beconstructed to impinge upon substantially all peripheral flanges 120 ofan article simultaneously. The ram 300 depicted in FIG. 2, for example,is designed to impinge upon and apply compressive force to the singleperipheral flange 120 that extends completely around the periphery of anarticle having the shape of a rectangular tray-type container havingrounded corners.

In an alternative embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the deflectableflange 160 of an article is heated to softening and impacted against aram 300 in the absence of an upper body 200 of the type describedherein. The absence of an upper body 200 may lead to distortion ordeflection of softened portions of the deflectable flange 160, at leastif the other portions (e.g., the extension 50 or parts of the body 10 ofthe article 100 that are adjacent the deflectable flange 160 areinsufficiently rigid to prevent such distortion or deflection. However,if such rigidity is present, or if such distortion or deflection istolerable in the final product, the methods described herein can be usedwithout an upper body 200.

FIG. 5 also illustrates the significance of the length (measured fromthe elbow to the peripheral edge) of the peripheral flange. Theperipheral edge contacts the ram. Force imparted upon the peripheraledge by the face 302 of the ram induces deflection of the deflectableflange 160 toward the body 10 of the article 100. When the deflectableflange 160 includes a peripheral flange 120 that is offset from thespacer portion 140 by a ninety-degree elbow 130, as shown in FIGS. 5Aand 5B, the length of the peripheral flange will influence the degree ofdeflection of the deflectable flange. Comparing FIG. 5C (a deflectableflange in which the “length” of the peripheral flange is zero; i.e., adeflectable flange lacking a peripheral flange) with FIG. 5B, it can beseen that the presence of the peripheral flange induces greaterdeflection of the deflectable flange in the configuration shown.Moreover, looking to FIG. 5A, increasing the length of the peripheralflange increases the degree of deflection induced by the ram. Thus,although the elbow and peripheral flange are optionally not present,their presence enhances deflection and can enhance the “rolling” effectthat can be achieved.

FIG. 10 depicts an embodiment of the ram 300 described herein forrolling over the edge of a shaped article having a deflectable flange160. FIG. 10A depicts a ram 300 having at least two positions foraccepting articles 100 having deflectable flanges as described herein.The upper portion of the figure shows a position that bears an article100. Because it does not bear an article, the position partially shownin the lower right of the figure reveals the upper surface 302 uponwhich the article is borne when present. The position in which anarticle is borne in the figure has an identical upper surface 302, butit is obscured by the spacer 140 and peripheral flange 120 of thearticle 100 borne therein. This figure also illustrates how theextension 50 spaces the body 10 of the article away from the spacer andaway from the ram, providing space (visible through the clear materialthat forms the extension) into which the spacer and peripheral flangecan be deflected, bent, or curled.

FIGS. 10B and 10C show details of the upper surface 302 of the ram 300,including a curved portion (at approximately D in FIG. 10C) which willdeflect the peripheral edge 110 of the deflectable flange when urgedagainst it at a softened temperature. FIG. 10B is a close-up image ofthe upper surface, and FIG. 10C is a cross-sectional diagramillustrating the approximate shape of that upper surface. In operation,the ram is used by impinging the peripheral edge 110 of the deflectableflange against the upper surface 302 (from the ‘downward’ directionindicated by the open arrow in FIG. 10C) at a position anywhere betweenpositions B and D, and then applying further downward force to drive theperipheral portion of the deflectable flange further against the ram.This further force induces the peripheral edge to slide, scrape, or skipacross the upper surface and induces the deflectable flange to deflectinwardly (i.e., toward the body of the article which, in thisembodiment, is located closer to the E position than to any of A-D).When the deflectable flange is heated above its softening point (i.e.,GTTs), this deflection will be non-elastic and will be reflected in theshape of the deflectable flange if it is thereafter cooled to atemperature below its softening point.

The curved portion of the upper surface 302 of the ram 300 betweenpositions C and E in FIG. 10C induces the softened portion of thedeflectable flange to roll or curve, and the degree of curvature inducedis controlled by the extent to which the deflectable flange is impingedagainst the ram. Thus, for example, only the peripheral-most portion ofthe deflectable flange might be deflected if the deflectable flange iscaused to impinge only slightly against the upper surface aftersoftening, the peripheral edge will be pointed approximately toward thebody if a softened portion of the deflectable flange is impinged to theextent of position D, and the peripheral edge of the deflectable flangewill be effectively “rolled over” (i.e., the plane of the deflectableflange at its peripheral edge extends to intersect the underside 161 ofthe deflectable flange) if a softened portion of the deflectable flangeis impingingly extended beyond position D (as shown in FIGS. 8G and 8K,for example). Depending on the material from which the deflectableflange is made, the deflectable flange can substantially retain itsshape as it cools in the ‘rolled over’ configuration (e.g., PET and PVCmaterials tend not to slump or droop when acted upon by gravity in asoftened state, while PE and PP materials can be bent substantially bygravity alone when softened). Even when this is not so, so long as theperipheral edge of a deflectable flange that droops or slumps does notexpose the peripheral edge at the periphery of the article, such bendingis acceptable (e.g., when the rolled-over edge is rolled oversufficiently that any drooping occurs in the interior space of theroll).

Sealing Films

An important advantage of articles having peripheries treated in themanner described herein is that such treatment renders the articlessuitable for sealing with thin plastic films. Sealing articles with thinplastic films is a well-known process, and many suitable films are known(e.g., thin monolayer or multilayer sheets made of materials such aspolyethylene or polyvinylidene chloride, optionally including polymerlayers which inhibit passage of moisture or certain gases). Articles canbe sealed with plastic films, for example, by completely enveloping thearticle in the film and sealing the film to itself. Alternatively,articles can be sealed by sealing a film about the periphery of aconcavity, compartment, or other orifice defined by an article and, ifdesired, thereafter trimming the portion(s) of the film beyond thatperiphery. All technologies for sealing articles with thin plastic filmsare believed to involve at least intermittent contact between peripheralareas of the article and the film used for sealing.

It is therefore beneficial for an article to be sealed with a thinplastic film to be free, or at least substantially free, of sharp,pointed, rough, jagged, or abrasive structures, at least at areas of thearticle which contact the film. It is particularly important that suchstructures be absent from the surface of the article which willnecessarily contact sealing films, and highly desirable that thesestructures are also absent from article surfaces which are likely tocontact sealing films, whether during the sealing process, or whetherduring further packaging, shipping, unpackaging, or retail display ofthe film-sealed article. Still more preferably, articles to be wrappedwith a thin film bear no such structures at surfaces at which there is asubstantial likelihood of contact between the surface and the filmduring any of these processes. Ideally, the articles bear no suchsurface at any position at which a film used for sealing mightreasonably be expected to contact the surface position during theseprocesses.

A wide variety of thin plastic films are known to be useful for sealingcontainers, and substantially any of these films can be used to seal theshaped articles described herein (or compartments thereof). Selection ofsealing films (and materials for making shaped articles compatible withsuch sealing films) is well known in the art, and substantially anyknown combination of materials can be adapted for use with the shapedarticles described herein. By way of example, when a sealing film is tobe removably sealed about a shaped article described herein (e.g., anoverwrap film that is sealed to itself but not to the wrapped article),the materials used to make the shaped article should be selected suchthat it will not fuse with the film under the sealing conditions to beused. By contrast, when a sealing film is to be substantiallypermanently sealed to a shaped article (e.g., about the perimeter of acompartment defined by the article), the material(s) used to make thearticle should be selected to facilitate formation of a substantiallypermanent seal under practical processing conditions. Similarly,combinations of sealing and container materials and operating conditionsthat yield containers sealed with material that is peelable therefromare known and can be used.

One highly desirable embodiment of the articles described herein is atray-shaped article that is made by thermoforming (and that thereforepossesses potentially sharp peripheral edges prior to the edge-rollingtreatment described herein) such that it possesses about its entireperiphery the deflectable flange described herein and for which theperipheral edge is deflected beneath the extension and behind the spacerand bend region of the deflectable flange, about the entire periphery ofthe tray, sufficiently that the peripheral edge cannot be touched by ahuman fingertip that is swiped along the gap between the deflectedperipheral flange and the body of the tray, even if that fingertip isswiped along this gap around the entire periphery of the tray. Such atray will bear no sharp, pointed, rough, jagged, or abrasive edge at anyposition that can reasonably be expected to be contacted by a sealingfilm, regardless of whether OW, VSP, or MAP technology is used in thesealing process. A tray suitable for use with all of these sealingtechnologies is highly desirable and believed to be unavailable prior tothe disclosure of the subject matter described herein.

Many plastic films used for sealing of articles are flexible and do notthermoset over the range of temperatures ordinarily employed duringsealing and subsequent handling. Flexible films that are sealed tosurfaces are sometimes difficult to remove in a single piece from thesealing surface. For example, a flexible film that is sealed about theflat periphery of a tray may tear or split when one portion of the filmis pulled away from the tray, potentially requiring a user to remove thefilm in multiple passes or many strips or pieces. Such difficulties maybe particularly acute in situations in which the sealing surface isbroad, such as in a VSP-sealed package in which a sealing film may beadhered to or fused with a relatively large area of a tray on which anitem has been sealed between the film and the tray. The technologydescribed herein can be used to reduce or overcome this difficulty asfollows.

The shaped articles described herein (e.g., a tray-shaped article havinga smooth periphery) can be sealed with a thermosettable (i.e.,thermoformable) film to yield an article in which the thermoformablesealing film is heated above its GTT to soften it and applied againstthe smooth periphery of the shaped article. A thermoformable film thatis heated above the GTT of the material of which it is made andthereafter cooled below that temperature will retain whateverconformation the film has (e.g., a conformation imposed upon it) whenthe temperature falls below its GTT. Thus, if a thermoplastic film isformed “around” (i.e., extending more than about 90 degrees about) thesmooth outer periphery of an article described herein, the film will beheld to the article not only by whatever attraction or adhesion mayexist between the film and the article surface, but also by mechanicalforces (i.e., the film's resistance to deflection about the smooth outerperiphery), forming a structure analogous to a “snap off” lid.

Even though softened thin plastic films can be extremely delicate (e.g.,liable to be damaged by sharp, pointed, rough, jagged, or abrasivesurfaces), the smooth periphery of the shaped articles described hereinpermits even such delicate films to be applied thereto. In one example,a shaped article in the form of a tray having a smooth periphery can beVSP-sealed to encase an article between a softened thermoplastic sealingfilm and the tray, with little or no gas included within the sealedportion. Furthermore, the smooth periphery of the articles describedherein permits a softened film to be drawn, pressed, or formed aroundthe smooth periphery—that is, contacting not only the top portion of theperiphery (i.e., analogous to the extension 50 of the article edgedepicted in FIG. 9B), but around the bend region 150 of the deflectableflange, and along the spacer 140 and any bent or rounded portionsthereof (such as to or around the rounded underside 145 of the spacerdepicted in FIG. 9B) and thereafter set by reducing the temperature ofthe sealing film below its GTT. Such a seal will form a relatively rigid“lid” and, even if the film is not adhered or fused to the shapedarticle where the film intersects the article, frictional forces or theshape of the “lid” (e.g., turned about the rounded underside 145 of thespacer depicted in FIG. 9B, such that the “lid” must be stretched orexpanded to disengage it from the rolled-over peripheral flange 160) canhold the sealing film in place on the article. Furthermore, becausesoftened thermosettable film can be substantially thicker, thereforestronger, and/or more rigid than thin flexible sealing films, athermosettable sealing film can form a seal or “lid” that can tend to bemore likely removable in a single piece.

In one embodiment of the shaped articles described herein, for example,the article is a tray having a food item placed thereon, with athermosettable film draped across the food item and the periphery of thetray while the film is in a softened state; gas between the film and thetray is withdrawn to form a VSP-type seal (with the film closely opposedagainst the food item and the tray surface upon which the food itemrests); and the film is draped around (from the top, to or around, thebottom of the periphery), optionally sealed or fused to the tray,trimmed about the bottom of the tray periphery, and cooled. In thefinished tray, the “lid” formed upon cooling of the film must be“snapped off” the tray by stretching the edge of the lid around theperiphery of the tray, but once this operation is performed, the entirelid can be removed from the tray in a single piece.

In another embodiment, a shaped article described herein is sealed(after its smooth outer periphery has been formed) using athermoformable plastic film that is extended across a compartmentdefined by the article and at least about 90 degrees about opposedsmooth peripheral sides of the article (i.e., opposite ends of a roundedrectangular tray). The film is heated above its GTT and cooled belowthat temperature while extended about the opposed smooth peripheralsides. If desired, a vacuum or modified atmosphere can be applied to thecompartment during such sealing. The resulting article has a thermosetfilm cover that must be stretched (or “snapped”) around at least oneperipheral side of the article in order to remove the film from thearticle (in addition to any other seal that may exist between the filmand the article).

The shaped article described herein can be used in ways which arebelieved to be not possible using previously-known trays. Typically,others have used containers especially designed and made for each of thevarious sealing technologies described herein (e.g., OW, VSP, and MAPtechnologies) for sealing containers with thin plastic films. That is,food trays designed for OW-sealing have been generally consideredunsuitable for VSP- and MAP-wrapping (e.g., owing to the lack ofsurfaces suitable for sealing in VSP- and/or MAP-technologies).Similarly, the sharp peripheries of many containers designed for usewith VSP- and MAP-sealing technologies render those containersunsuitable for overwrapping with fragile polymer films. The shapedarticles described herein can be used to make shaped articles that cansuitably be used as containers for sealing by any of OW, VSP and MAPtechnologies. Because the shaped articles are thermoformed, containersurfaces suitable for VSP- and/or MAP-sealing can be included in theshape of the articles. Using the methods described herein, anyperipheral parts of a shaped article which might provide a risk oftearing sealing films (or, alternatively, all edges of the shapedarticle) can be made to have a smooth conformation, such as by forming arolled-over edge or by smoothing the shape of the mold used forthermoforming the precursor article. Thus, unlike previously-knowntrays, the shaped articles described herein can be used withsubstantially any film-sealing technology.

Other advantageous uses of the shaped articles described herein relateto the smoothness of their edges. The articles can be used insubstantially any environment in which it is desirable or necessary thata solid object exhibit smooth edges. By way of example, instruments usedin surgical procedures are typically packaged in openable containers (topermit reuse and sterilization between uses) that are opened bypersonnel wearing easily-torn surgical gloves during medical surgeryprocedures. Thermoformed articles (e.g., so-called “clam-shell” typesnap-open packages of known design) can be made as described herein,with those articles being initially made having a deflectable flangewherever they are cut from the web of thermoformed material, andthereafter rolling over that deflectable flange to yield the smooth edgedescribed herein. Articles made in this manner will present smooth edgesto users, reducing the likelihood that surgical gloves will be torn byopening such packages during surgery procedures. Similarly, thermoformedpackages of known design that are employed to facilitate handling, toinhibit theft, or to achieve other ends can be adapted (e.g., byincluding a deflectable flange in their design and rolling it over) totake advantage of the edge-smoothing technology described herein.

System for Forming Articles

As described above, precursors of the shaped articles described hereincan be formed by standard thermoforming methods, using standardthermoforming equipment. To do so, a thermoforming mold is used to makea precursor article by imposing upon a thermoplastic sheet the desiredconformation of the finished article, except that the deflectable flangedescribed herein is included at the peripheral edge(s) at which thesmooth periphery is to be formed. Upon cutting the precursor articlefrom the web of thermoplastic sheet, the edge-smoothing operationsdescribed herein can be performed by impinging the deflectable flangeupon a ram (optionally with the aid of an upper body). Alternatively, aprecursor article can be only substantially severed from the sheet bysuch cutting (i.e., severed completely, but for trivial portions, suchas <1% or <0.1% by length of the cut perimeter, where the precursorarticle remains integral with the sheet by way of narrow, frangible tabssuch as will be fractured, snapped, or otherwise severed when the ramimpinges upon the spacer), so long as non-cut portions will be severedduring subsequent operations upon the precursor article, such asstacking or edge-smoothing. So long as these severed-but-not-cutportions (severance of which may produce a rough or sharp spot on theperipheral edge) are sufficiently rolled under the spacer (or at leastturned away from the periphery of the article), the article peripherythus formed will remain smooth. Similarly, portions of the cut edgewhich remain frangibly attached to the sheet (e.g., having one or moreportions cut incompletely through the thickness of the thermoplasticsheet) are tolerable, so long as subsequent processing of the precursorarticle severs those portions (again, rolling or deflection of suchportions displace them from the article periphery and do not affectperiphery smoothness).

Newly-thermoformed precursor articles will tend to emerge from thethermoformer at a temperature close to (but below) the GTT of thethermoplastic (e.g., a temperature significantly greater than 20 degreesCelsius). Impinging the deflectable flange and the ram shortly afterremoving the precursor article from the thermoformer (e.g., before itcools to or below 20 degrees Celsius, for example) can reduce thequantity of heat energy which must be supplied to one or more portionsof the deflectable flange in order to achieve the desired deflection (or“rolled over” edge effect) of the deflectable flange described herein.For this reason, it can be desirable to combine the thermoformer, theram, and an impingement mechanism into a single system or a single pieceof equipment. Such a system or piece of equipment should include i) athermoformer module capable of forming the precursor article; ii) acutter for cutting the precursor article from a thermoplastic sheet orroll from which it was formed; iii) a ram; and iv) a mechanism forpositioning the precursor article against the ram (i.e., so that thedeflectable flange portions line up with the corresponding ram portions)and impinging the precursor article and the ram together. The heatrequired during the deflectable flange-deflection operations describedherein can be provided by the ram, by the cutter (e.g., using a heatedcutting blade to heat the peripheral edge and an adjacent peripheralportion of the deflectable flange above the softening temperature of thethermoplastic), by a separate heater (e.g., a radiant heating elementdisposed in close opposition to the ram when it is engaged against thedeflectable flange), or by a combination of these. The preciseselection, orientation, order, and construction of these pieces ofequipment are not critical and can be selected by a skilled artisan inlight of the requirements and processing steps described herein. Thesystem or equipment can also include a plug as described herein forinsertion within a void in the precursor article prior to impingement ofthe deflectable flange against the ram.

EXAMPLE

The subject matter of this disclosure is now described with reference tothe following Examples. These Examples are provided for the purpose ofillustration only, and the subject matter is not limited to theseExamples, but rather encompasses all variations which are evident as aresult of the teaching provided herein.

Example 1

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate a thermoplastic tray which was thermoformedfrom a flat sheet of thermoplastic material and then cut from the sheet.The sharp edge formed by the cutting process is shown in each of thesefigures, with a finger touching the sharp edge. After the smoothingprocess described herein was performed on these trays, the appearance ofthe trays was approximately that shown in FIG. 3, in which the sharpedge has been “rolled over” such that it faces the body of the tray anda smooth portion, formed by flexing at least the bend region of thedeflectable flange and heating and cooling it to yield a smooth outerperiphery to the tray which will not impact either upon a thin plasticfilm attached to the rim of the tray or upon a thin plastic film whichis snugly wrapped about the entirety of the tray.

Example 2

This example is provided for the sake of explaining formation andsealing of a shaped article as described herein. In this example,formation, filling, and sealing of a container containing a cut of freshfish is described.

A shaped article for receiving the fish is formed by traditionalthermoforming methods. A thermoformable material (e.g., PET) in sheetform is heated above its GTT and urged against a mold using traditionalthermoforming techniques (using either a male or female mold, with orwithout the application of positive and/or negative pressure to urgeportions of the sheet against portions of the mold). Such thermoformingyields a tray-shaped container having a rounded rectangular shapeoverall and including a concave interior portion for receiving the cutof fish. The rounded rectangular overall shape of the container isdefined by a deflectable flange that surrounds the interior portionabout the entire perimeter of that interior portion. The deflectableflange has the configuration shown in FIG. 1A, and the tray has theapproximate shape of the tray shown in FIG. 6D upon cutting thethermoformed tray from the sheet at peripheral edge 110 of thedeflectable flange 160. The die used to cut the tray from the sheet isheated so that the peripheral edge of the tray is at or near its GTT.

A plug having a shape that substantially fills the interior portion ofthe tray at the portions adjacent the extension 50 of the deflectableflange 160 is inserted into the interior portion (approximately as shownin FIG. 8Dii). The plug-filled tray is then inserted into a ram 300(approximately as shown in the upper position in FIG. 10A, except thatno plug is present in FIG. 10A), so that the peripheral edge 110, thespacer 140, or both contact the upper surface 302 of the ram 300 atsubstantially all portions of the deflectable flange. Downward pressure(referring to FIG. 10A, the force being applied downwardly from the topof the image) is applied to the extension 50 of the deflectable flange160 about the entire periphery of the interior, driving the spacer 140and/or peripheral edge 110 portions of the deflectable flange 160against the ram. The deflectable flange is driven against the ram to aposition analogous to that shown in cross-section in FIG. 8H, and theparts are held in this position for a period of time sufficient for atleast the portion of the deflectable flange indicated by “B” in FIG. 8Jto attain a temperature above its GTT by virtue of heat conducted orradiated thereto from the ram. The deflectable flange is thereafterurged (by the force applied to the extension 50) further against the ramso that the peripheral edge 110 slides, scrapes, or skips across theinner surface 302 of the ram 300 and the deflectable flange advances toapproximately the position shown in FIG. 8J. If desired, the deflectableflange can be further advanced to the position shown in FIG. 8K,optionally upon pausing to permit additional portions of the deflectableflange to achieve a temperature above its glass transition point. Also,if desired, a coolant such as ambient air can be injected (e.g. at theposition occupied by element 120 in FIG. 8K) to reduce the temperatureof the deflectable flange at the injection point, in order to preventfurther irreversible deflection of such portion. The deflectable flangeis urged against the ram sufficiently that the peripheral edge is notreadily accessible to films or other materials present at the peripheryof the tray.

The force urging the deflectable flange against the ram is discontinued,and the article is removed from contact with the ram, whereby thematerial of the deflectable flange cools below its GTT and retains itsshape in the absence of applied force. At this point, a shaped articlein the shape of the desired tray has been formed, the tray having asmooth periphery. The tray can be used immediately for packaging the cutof fish or, more typically, it can be stacked with other such trays andshipped to a fish processor.

Whether the tray is used immediately after formation or retrieved byde-nesting the tray from a stack of trays, the cut of fish can now bedeposited within the interior compartment of the tray, together with anyother materials (e.g., sauce, an absorbent pad, vegetable, orseasonings) to be packaged therewith in preparation for sealing. Any ofa number of known sealing technologies can be used to seal the containerand the fish.

The tray can simply be over-wrapped with a thin plastic film (the filmextending across the opening of the compartment between extensions 50 onopposite sides of the compartment, around smoothly-bent bend region 150and/or spacer 140 of the deflectable flange 160), and the terminus ofthe film can be sealed to a portion of the film overlaying the tray, forexample by application of a heated pad against the terminus and theportion, followed by heat-shrinking of the film to yield a visuallypleasing taut film surface. Because the tray has no sharp or rough edgesat its periphery, the overwrapped film is not torn during sealing, nordo such edges tear, snag, or abrade other sealed packages duringshipping. The over-wrapped, fish-containing container can be packaged(e.g., in a box with other such containers or in a plastic bagcontaining both a selected gas or liquid phase and other suchcontainers), and shipped to a wholesaler, retailer, or customer.

Rather than sealing the package using an over-wrap that is sealed toitself, the container can be sealed after filling with a film that doesnot envelop the tray, but instead seals the compartment at the extension50 about the periphery of the compartment. Such a seal can be generatedby simply sealing a film (using any one or combination of heat,pressure, and an adhesive) to the extension 50 and, preferably, trimmingthe film about the periphery of the seal (e.g., by trimming the film atapproximately the peripheral extent of the container). If desired, anyfree ends of the film seal can be shrunk using heat. Prior to sealing, avacuum can be applied to withdraw gases from the interior of thecompartment and to draw the film against the contents of thecompartment, and a selected gas or gas mixture can optionally beinjected prior to sealing.

The disclosure of every patent, patent application, and publicationcited herein is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

While this subject matter has been disclosed with reference to specificembodiments, it is apparent that other embodiments and variations can bedevised by others skilled in the art without departing from the truespirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. The appendedclaims include all such embodiments and equivalent variations.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of making a container having a smoothperiphery, the method comprising thermoforming a thermoplastic sheet toyield a precursor article having a shaped body including a concavecompartment with a non-circular orifice surrounded by a rim, the rimcomprising an extension that peripherally surrounds and extends distallyaway from the orifice, a smoothly-curved bend region that peripherallysurrounds the extension, that, at its proximal extent, connects with theextension, that, between its proximal and distal extents, forms an angle(A) having a magnitude from 75 to 120 degrees, and that, at its distalextent, connects with a spacer that peripherally surrounds the bendregion; cutting the sheet distally about the rim to substantially severthe precursor article from the sheet, whereby a peripheral edge is borneby the spacer peripherally about the precursor article; heating at leasta portion of the rim to at least the glass transition temperature (GTT)of the thermoplastic; impinging a ram against the spacer to deflect thespacer toward the extension, whereby the magnitude of A decreases; andthereafter cooling the heated portion of the rim below the GTT of thethermoplastic while the spacer remains deflected to yield the containerhaving a smooth periphery.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the spacerincludes a peripheral flange which bears the peripheral edge and whichis connected with the remainder of the spacer by an elbow.
 3. The methodof claim 1, wherein the heated portion of the rim is cooled below theGTT of the thermoplastic while the spacer remains deflected sufficientlythat the peripheral edge is deflected away from the periphery of thecontainer about its entire periphery.
 4. The method of claim 1, whereinthe heated portion of the rim is cooled below the GTT of thethermoplastic while the spacer remains deflected sufficiently theperipheral edge is beneath the extension and behind the spacer and bendregion about the entire periphery of the container.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the heated portion of the rim is cooled below the GTTof the thermoplastic while the spacer remains deflected sufficientlyaround the entire periphery of the container that the peripheral edgecannot be touched by a human fingertip that is swiped along the gapbetween the deflected peripheral flange and the body.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the heated portion of the rim is cooled below the GTTof the thermoplastic while the spacer remains deflected sufficientlythat the dimension (d) of the nearest approach of the peripheral edge tothe body is at least ½ the distance (D) from the body of theperipheral-most extent of the rim of the container.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the heated portion of the rim is cooled below the GTTof the thermoplastic while the spacer remains deflected sufficientlythat the ratio d/D is not greater than ¼.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein the heated portion of the rim is cooled below the GTT of thethermoplastic while the spacer remains deflected sufficiently that theratio d/D is not less than ¾.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein themagnitude of an offset angle (OA), defined as the angle between theplane of the spacer and the plane of the extension, is greater than 90degrees after cooling the heated portion of the rim.
 10. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the magnitude of OA is at least 105 degrees aftercooling the heated portion of the rim.
 11. The method of claim 1,wherein the magnitude of OA is at least 120 degrees after cooling theheated portion of the rim.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein themagnitude of OA is at least 135 degrees after cooling the heated portionof the rim.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the magnitude of OA is atleast 180 degrees after cooling the heated portion of the rim.
 14. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the magnitude of OA is at least 270 degreesafter cooling the heated portion of the rim.
 15. The method of claim 1,wherein the bend region is heated above the GTT of the thermoplastic andwherein the magnitude of A is less than 90 degrees after cooling thebend region.
 16. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one portion ofthe spacer is heated above the GTT of the thermoplastic and wherein themagnitude of OA is greater than 90 degrees after cooling the spacer. 17.The method of claim 1, wherein at least the peripheral edge of the sheetis heated above the GTT of the thermoplastic and wherein the magnitudeof OA is greater than 90 degrees after cooling the peripheral edge. 18.The method of claim 17, wherein the ram is heated and includes an uppersurface which conforms against the peripheral edge, wherein the ramheats portions of the spacer above the GTT of the thermoplastic andimpinges against the spacer in a plurality of discrete, incrementaladvances, whereby multiple portions of the spacer soften sequentially.19. The method of claim 17, wherein the ram is heated and includes anupper surface which conforms against the peripheral edge, wherein theram heats portions of the spacer above the GTT of the thermoplastic andimpinges against the spacer in a single smooth motion, whereby multipleportions of the spacer soften sequentially.
 20. The method of claim 1,wherein the ram includes an upper surface having a J-shaped profile. 21.The method of claim 1, wherein the ram includes an upper surface havinga U-shaped profile.
 22. The method of claim 1, wherein the ram is heatedand wherein the heating and impinging steps are performed simultaneouslyand completely about the periphery of the precursor article using theheated ram.
 23. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the bend regionand at least the peripheral edge of the sheet is heated above the GTT ofthe thermoplastic and wherein the magnitude of OA is greater than 90degrees after cooling the peripheral edge.
 24. The method of claim 1,wherein the rim is sandwiched between an upper body and the ram andwherein the upper body urges the spacer toward the ram duringimpingement of the ram against the spacer.
 25. The method of claim 1,wherein the extension is substantially planar, having an upper face anda lower face, and wherein each of the spacer and the body extends awayfrom the lower face of the extension.
 26. The method of claim 1, whereinthe container is a rounded rectangular tray having a substantiallyplanar rim surrounding the concave compartment.
 27. The method of claim1, wherein the portion of the rim is heated to at least the GTT of thethermoplastic during thermoforming, thereafter cooled below the GTT, andthereafter heated to at least the GTT prior to impinging the ram againstthe spacer.
 28. The method of claim 1, wherein a plug is disposed withinthe compartment while the ram is impinged against the spacer.
 29. Themethod of claim 28, wherein the plug substantially fills the compartmentand overlaps at least a portion of the rim.
 30. The method of claim 1,wherein the thermoplastic is a polyethylene terephthalate.